"Otani's popularity continues to grow in Korea, too." The Japanese media were also surprised by the

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani came to Korea with numerous fans welcoming him.

The Ohtaniwa Dodgers entered Incheon International Airport on the 15th (Korea time). The Dodgers will play the opening game of the 2024 Major League season against San Diego at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.

With a batting average of 274 (681 hits in 2,483 at-bats), 171 homers, 437 RBIs, OPS.922, and a career-high 38-19 record and 3.01 ERA in 86 games (481 innings), Ohtani is the best star player in the Major League. In all, Ohtani hit .344 (151 hits in 497 at-bats), 44 homers, 95 RBIs and 1.066 OPS in 135 games last year, and won 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 games (132 innings) as a pitcher, becoming the second unanimous MVP in 2021. Ohtani is the first player in Major League history to receive two unanimous MVP honors.

Qualifying as a free agent after the end of the season, Ohtani wowed fans by signing a 10-year, $700 million (W932.4 billion) contract with the Dodgers. It is the largest contract ever in professional sports, surpassing Mike Trout's 12-year extension of $426.5 million (W568.1 billion), as well as Lionel Messi's $674 million (W897.8 billion) deal with Barcelona.

With Ohtani joining the Dodgers, interest in the opening game of the Major League Baseball in Korea for the first time has heated up. The Dodgers and San Diego will play the opening two consecutive games at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 20th and 21st. This is the first time that a Major League regular season game will be held in Korea, and it is all the more meaningful because it is the season opener. If the Seoul Series is successful, Korea will be the country hosting the 12th Major League game. Seoul is the fifth Major League regular season opener to be held overseas, following Monterey, Mexico, Tokyo, Japan, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Sydney, Australia.

Korean and Japanese major league stars such as Kim Ha-sung, Ko Woo-seok, Darvish Yuki, Matsui Yuki (San Diego), Shohei Ohtani, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers) are participating, raising fans' interest in the Seoul Series. In addition to Ohtani making his Dodgers debut, Yamamoto, who signed a 12-year, $325 million (about 432.9 billion won) contract with the Dodgers, will make his major league debut at Gocheok Dome. 토토사이트웹

Ohtani, who arrived through Incheon International Airport with the Dodgers on the 15th, responded with a smile to the huge welcoming crowd. On this day, Ohtani's fan club displayed welcome placards in English and Korean at Incheon International Airport.

Japanese media outlet Nikkan Sports said, "Dajer Ohtani arrived in Seoul, Korea on a chartered flight on the 15th. He appeared through the gate at around 2:45 p.m. and was greatly welcomed by the Korean media and fans," adding, "There were also members of Korean fan clubs with blue banners containing Ohtani's photos."

A Korean female fan interviewed by the media outlet said, "Otani is handsome and good at baseball. He is on a different level. I've been a fan since I was a fan of Nippon-Ham, but I think the number of fans increased significantly at the World Baseball Classic last year." On the recently announced news of Ohtani's wedding, she said, "I think all Korean female fans will be sad. However, I will continue to support her."

Nikkan Sports, which received a heated response to Ohtani, highlighted Ohtani's huge popularity by saying, "I think Ohtani's popularity is rising in Korea, too."