About a dozen Japanese played in MLB last season, headlined by Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They came up through Nippon Professional Baseball and waited for free agency under the Japanese system, or were allowed to go earlier by their clubs.

The Tokyo Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs is a full circle moment for Japanese baseball.

First, Friedman immediately recognized that Japan would run away with the tournament, even as the United States assembled a roster that included the best players in Major League Baseball from Mookie Betts to Mike Trout and beyond.