Shohei Ohtani doing his best to make sure Dodgers never miss a Japanese star again

For most teams, Opening Day doesn't arrive until next weekend. For the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, however, it's right around the corner, as the two teams will square off in the season-opening Tokyo Series starting on Tuesday, March 18.

Both teams headed to Japan a few days early, where they'll take part in some exhibition games against NPB competition to give fans a taste of the Majors — and see some of their finest talent come back home after departing to the States.

Of course, at the top of that list is Dodgers two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, fresh off winning NL MVP honors and his first-ever World Series ring. In addition to his on-field exploits, Ohtani has also been a boon to L.A.'s roster: He's understandably a sensation in Japan, with a whole new generation of talent looking up to him ... and wanting to play with him, as we've seen Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto pass up more money in order to play for the Dodgers over the last two offseasons.

At this point, the Dodgers have more or less put a stranglehold on Japanese talent, which makes every trip to the country a recruiting trip. And Ohtani didn't wait long to ensure it would be a successful one.

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Shohei Ohtani cements Dodgers' recruiting pitch in Japan with towering home run

It took Ohtani all of two at-bats in L.A.'s game against the Yomiuri Giants to announce himself in a major way, launching a towering homer to right field in the top of the third inning.

Sure, the Dodgers were technically the away team, but try telling that to fans at the Tokyo Dome who erupted as soon as that ball left the bat. Ohtani is the country's preeminent sports celebrity, a singular talent dominating Japan's most popular sport at the very highest levels. The red-carpet treatment that L.A. has received this week already made clear that every other team is going to have a tough time convincing future talent to consider heading anywhere else in the Majors. This homer is just the cherry on top.