Not just Ohtani: Tokyo Series will showcase the depth of Japanese talent in Major League Baseball

TOKYO (AP) — The spotlight will be on slugger Shohei Ohtani this week when the superstar returns to Japan and leads the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs in the first two games of the Major League Baseball season at the Tokyo Dome.

He won't be the only one playing in front of his home country.

Four other Japanese players — LA's Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, along with Chicago's Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga — will be on the field in a display of how deep the talent pool is in the country.

The outsized attention on Ohtani is understandable: He's coming off one of the best seasons in MLB history and won his third MVP award after becoming the first player to hit at least 50 homers and steal at least 50 bases in the same season.

Ohtani had offseason surgery on his left shoulder following the World Series but is expected to start at designated hitter for the Dodgers in Japan after hitting .353 with two doubles and a homer in spring training.

The other four Japanese players are all accomplished in their own right. Here's a look at each player as the opener approaches on March 18.

Yamamoto came to the Dodgers before last season, signing a $325 million, 12-year deal that was somewhat overshadowed by Ohtani's monster $700 million, 10-year deal.

When healthy, Yamamoto was very good in his first big league season, finishing with a 7-2 record, a 3.00 ERA and 105 strikeouts over 90 innings. He was also solid in the postseason with a 2-0 record and a 3.86 ERA.

Yamamoto missed about three months last season with a shoulder injury. The 26-year-old has been healthy so far this spring and will be the starting pitcher for the season opener on Tuesday.

He played seven seasons for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan before coming to the U.S., where he had a 70-29 record along with a miniscule 1.82 ERA.

The 30-year-old Suzuki has been an important part of the Cubs lineup for the past three seasons. He just finished his best season in the big leagues, batting .283 with 21 homers, 73 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and 27 doubles.

Suzuki has played most of his games in right field for the Cubs, but is just an average fielder. Manager Craig Counsell says Suzuki might be utilized more as a designated hitter this season after the addition of All-Star Kyle Tucker, who the team acquired in a trade with the Houston Astros.

He played nine seasons for the Hiroshima Carp before signing with the Cubs, batting .309 with 189 career homers.

Sasaki is the youngest of the Japanese players in Tokyo for this week's series at 23 years old.

This is the lanky 6-foot-2 right-hander's first season in the U.S. after playing four seasons for the Chiba Lotte Mariners, where he had an overpowering fastball that could touch 100 mph. He's dealt with injuries over the past few years, which has limited his time on the mound.

Even so, Sasaki was electric in his spring training debut earlier this month, striking out five over three scoreless innings. His fastball was clocked in the high 90s and he has a devastating splitter that coaxes plenty of swing-and-miss.

Sasaki signed a minor league contract that had a signing bonus of $6.5 million, though he's expected to be on the big league roster. Because he’s under 25 and did not have six years of service time in Japan, Sasaki was considered an international amateur by MLB’s rules and was limited to a minor league deal with a limited signing bonus.

The 31-year-old Imanaga made an immediate impact last season with the Cubs, making the National League All-Star team and finishing with a 15-3 record and 2.91 ERA. He's expected to be the team's ace in 2025 and will pitch against Yamamoto in the first game in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Imanaga doesn't have an overpowering fastball, with the pitch usually sitting in the low 90s, but the left-hander has a quality splitter and mixes his pitches well. Before coming to the U.S., he pitched eight seasons for the Yokohoma BayStars and was 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA.

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) throws during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, March. 4, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Chicago Cubs left fielder Seiya Suzuki, of Japan, jogs off the field during the third inning of a spring training baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Monday, March 3, 2025, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, of Japan, pauses in the dugout prior to a spring training baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Monday, March 3, 2025, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) rests in the dugout between the fifth and sixth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, March. 4, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws during the sixth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, March. 4, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) throws during the third inning of a spring training baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, March. 4, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that he was “being a little bit sarcastic” when he repeatedly claimed as a candidate that he would have the Russia-Ukraine war solved within 24 hours — and even before he even took office.

Trump was asked about the vow he repeatedly made on the campaign trail during an interview for the “Full Measure” television program as his administration is still trying to broker a solution 54 days into his second term.

“Well, I was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that," Trump said in a clip released ahead of the episode airing Sunday. “What I really mean is I’d like to get it settled and, I’ll, I think, I think I’ll be successful.”

It was a rare admission from Trump, who has a long record of making exaggerated claims.

Trump said at a CNN town hall in May 2023, “They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours.”

“That is a war that’s dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I even become president,” Trump said during his September debate with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. “If I win, when I’m president-elect, and what I’ll do is I’ll speak to one, I’ll speak to the other. I’ll get them together.”

The Republican repeated the claim frequently on the campaign trail.

His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was in Moscow this week for talks on a U.S.-proposed ceasefire, which Ukraine has accepted.

In the interview, Trump was also asked what the plan would be if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire to the war he started three years ago.

“Bad news for this world because so many people are dying,” Trump said.

But I think, I think he's going to agree. I really do. I think I know him pretty well and I think he's going to agree."

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Pool via AP)