On a night that was as much a celebration of Japan as a festive start to the 2025 MLB season, Shohei Ohtani, a player so gifted he has bent the sport to his otherworldly will, noticed something strange.

He was nervous.

¡°I don¡¯t usually feel nervous about hitting,¡± the Los Angeles Dodgers star said after the team¡¯s 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs in the MLB season opener at Tokyo Dome on Tuesday night. ¡°I felt like I didn¡¯t want to walk in my first at-bat and maybe I tried too hard. But I think I was able to deal with it and stay calm in my at-bats after that.¡±