Dodgers Japanese trio of Ohtani, Sabasaki and Yamamoto looking to make World Series history

The first Japanese player to play in Major League Baseball was pitcher Masanori Murakami, who made his debut with the San Francisco Giants on September 1, 1964.

Murakami pitched for the Giants for parts of two seasons before returning to Japan. The next Japanese player to join MLB was pitcher Hideo Nomo, who debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995, opening the door for many more Japanese players to follow.

Undoubtedly in recent times, Shohei Ohtani has hit the headlines for his time in MLB, first with the Los Angeles Angels and more recently in his time with the Dodgers.

The team has made back Ohtani’s large contract through merchandise and sponsorship deals, which have also grown exponentially, and has become the top destination for Japanese players, improving the on-field roster significantly with players like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.

Ohtani’s presence in particular has massively expanded the Dodgers’ international fanbase, particularly in Japan, and has attracted new Japanese sponsors to the team and to MLB with hundreds of Japanese fans flocking to Dodger Stadium to see the 31-year-old up close.

Japanese trio on the cusp of history

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is an influential starting pitcher for the Dodgers. He was signed to a massive contract and has been a significant part of the team’s rotation since joining. He has demonstrated his influence with strong performance, including being named an All-Star and throwing a complete-game victory in the postseason.

Rōki Sasaki is a highly-touted Japanese pitcher who joined the Dodgers. He was initially slated to be a starter but, after dealing with injuries, he has become a very influential late-inning reliever, even taking on the role of closer for the team during the postseason. His high-velocity pitches and willingness to adapt roles have made him a key contributor.

While no team in the past has had three Japanese players win the World Series together, two Japanese players have won on the same team twice: 2007 Boston Red Sox: Pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima.

2013 Boston Red Sox: Pitchers Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa.

Game one of the 2025 World Series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays starts at 8pm (ET) on Friday night with the trio from the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ on the cusp of generating a new page of history in baseball history.

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