The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs have five of the 11 active Japanese players in the Majors between their rosters, which made them the most logical choices for the first MLB games in Tokyo since 2019.
Not only do the Dodgers and Cubs have a high volume of Japanese players, they are also some of best talent to come out of the country.
Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto alone will be paid more than $1 billion combined over the course of their Dodgers contracts. There is also Roki Sasaki, who is just starting his MLB journey but arrived in the United States with extremely lofty expectations.
On the other side, Shota Imanaga had a great rookie season for the Cubs last year, and Seiya Suzuki is a quality player in his own right.
While the Tokyo Series might not come the same spotlight for Freddie Freeman as it does for his teammates and opponents, he is looking forward to the experience and will be even happier if the Dodgers are able to fly back home after a productive trip.
“I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be 10 times whatever Korea was. With Shohei, Yoshi and Roki, and then you’ve got Shota and Seiya on the Cubs, I think it’s going to be more than we expect. It’s going to be exciting,” Freeman said.
“I’ve heard wonderful things about Tokyo and Japan, so really looking forward to it. We need to get two wins, so then it will be great.”
MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki played the final game of his career with the Seattle Mariners the last time Major League played in Tokyo. Now in a full circle moment, MLB returns to Japan the same year that Suzuki will be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame.
The confluence of these different factors has made the Tokyo Series extremely meaningful for the game of baseball in Japan. By seeing and listening to the excitement of his Japanese teammates, Freeman recognizes the significance of this moment for the entire country.
“You hear about it, you understand and hear Shohei talking about it, Yoshi and all of our Japanese personnel, of how excited people are for us to go over there,” he said. “And same with the Cubs too. I think it’s going to be an incredible moment. And obviously with probably Yoshi and Shota pitching in Game 1, what an amazing moment.
Freddie Freeman accompanied by son for Dodgers’ Japan trip
Players were permitted to bring a guest on the Dodgers’ chartered flight to Tokyo, and Freeman was joined by his oldest son, Charlie. The two share a special bond and Charlie is often seen at Dodger Stadium throughout the course of the season.
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