The Los Angeles Dodgers could not have envisioned a better start to the 2025 season than the one they had in their two-game series against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo. The reigning World Series champion swept the series, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki having their moments in front of their passionate home crowd in leading the Dodgers to 4-1 and 6-3 victories, respectively.
It was always going to be difficult for any team to match up with the Dodgers' level of depth and top-end talent. They have accumulated so much quality big-leaguers that not even the threat of the injury bug is enough to shake their strong foundation.
While two games are largely inconsequential to the grand scheme of the 162-game regular season, being a fan is nothing if one refuses to give in to the overreactions that will come out after those contests. To that end, here are a few overreactions following the Dodgers' dominance over the Cubs on the other side of the world.
Shohei Ohtani may not one-up his 2024 MVP season… but there's a catch
Shohei Ohtani may be the most feared hitter in the MLB right now; it's not an easy task to get the 30-year-old Japanese international out, and once he's on base, he can be a terror after coming in second to just Elly De La Cruz, the league's premier speedster, in total stolen bases last season.
The Dodgers are utilizing Ohtani's multi-layered offensive threat to lead the lineup, and suffice to say, it has resulted in nothing but good thus far for them. In the Tokyo Series, Ohtani went 3-8 with a home run, a solid enough start to what many fans are hoping would be an encore to his brilliant 2024 MVP campaign.
Alas, with this elevated fear level against Ohtani, the Dodgers star may find it difficult to rack up counting stats as big as he did last year. To end Game 2 of their series against the Cubs, Chicago intentionally walked Ohtani to get to Tommy Edman, and then pitched around him in his next at-bat.
It's going to be a different story when Ohtani has Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts behind him in the order. Opposing pitchers may not have a choice but to face the reigning NL MVP. But opponents will have to find a way to limit the damage Ohtani can inflict upon them, and pitching around him will have the effect of reducing his home run and RBI totals — while making him one of the premier on-base threats in the MLB.
Dodgers fans should be patient with Roki Sasaki
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Roki Sasaki certainly has the stuff to excel in the big leagues. He has a fastball that routinely touches the high-90s, and he plays off of that with his splitter and slider. The splitter is what sets Sasaki apart, as it has some nasty late action that surely will be missing plenty of bats.
However, Sasaki, in his official MLB debut, more often than not missed the strike zone more than he did bats. He threw just 25 strikes against 31 balls, and he was all over the place with his command — lasting just three innings in the process. This was not the start the hyped-up youngster envisioned he would be having, especially in front of the Tokyo crowd.
Of course, in an overreactions piece, the sentiment would be that Sasaki may not be worth all that hype. But the 23-year-old has shown glimpses of how elite he can be once he puts it all together. And he's only 23 years of age. Dodgers fans should be very hopeful of what he can become, but they should temper their expectations for what kind of pitcher he is now and how well he'll be performing at his current state.
LA's bullpen is untouchable
The Dodgers have made sure not to skimp costs on any part of the big-league roster, and they made a splash in the bullpen as well this offseason, bringing in Tanner Scott. But building an incredible bullpen isn't about making flashy signings — it's about accumulating plenty of arms that can get you outs late in games, and the Dodgers have plenty of such weapons.
With Roki Sasaki lasting just three innings due to some erratic command, the Dodgers needed to call upon five different relievers to get them to the finish line. Offseason signing Kirby Yates impressed in his Dodgers debut, while low-cost signing Luis Garcia also did his part.
In the first game, the Dodgers' bullpen had everything on lockdown — with Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius, Blake Treinen, and Tanner Scott combining to pitch four scoreless innings while striking out five.
