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Shohei Ohtani Explains What He's Most Looking Forward to About Being Back in Japan

As the Dodgers and Cubs get set to play in the Tokyo Series next week, the reigning National League MVP talked about what he's most looking forward to during his trip to his home country.

Brady Farkas

Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (17) asks for a pitch challenge against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Camelback Ranch-Glendale on March 11.
Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (17) asks for a pitch challenge against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Camelback Ranch-Glendale on March 11. / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
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The Major League Baseball season is just days away as the Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the Chicago Cubs in the Toyko Series. It's a two-game, regular season showcase between two of baseball's most prominent brands.

The series is made even bigger by the fact that five Japanese players will be playing in the contest, including Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki (Cubs) and Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki (Dodgers).

The Dodgers contingent of Japanese players took to the microphones for a much-anticipated press conference recently and talked about being back in their home country, playing in front of Japanese fans and much more.

Sasaki indicated that since this is his first year in the United States, he's most excited about pitching in a Dodgers uniform and Yamamoto said he's excited to take the mound again in his home country.

As for Ohtani, he had a little fun with the question, saying he was excited to eat good food back home, get over the jetlag and play two games.

The Dodgers are coming off a season in which they won the World Series by beating the New York Yankees in five games. After a 54-homer, 59-steal campaign, Ohtani captured the MVP Award, his third in total.

The Cubs finished tied for second in the National League Central, but they were 10 games behind the first-place Brewers. However, the expectations are much higher this year after they traded for All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Yamamoto will pitch against Imanaga in Game 1 of the Tokyo Series next Tuesday.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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