MLB Tokyo Series 2025: Shohei Ohtani's Viral Video Becomes Meme Fest in US

Shohei Ohtani, who won the third BBWAA Most Valuable Player Award of his career last year, kicked off the 2025 MLB season in style as Los Angeles Dodgers secured a 4-1 win against Chicago Cubs in the opening game of the Tokyo Series on Tuesday.

Reigning World Series champion Dodgers are among the favourites this time as well. The game in Tokyo started early for MLB fans in the US, who had to get up early to catch the first pitch that was through shortly after 5 AM ET, Sports Illustrated reported.

The Shohei Ohtani Meme

From the live broadcast of the game, it seemed like Ohtani too had a lot to adjust in terms of time difference between the US and Japan.


On social media platform X, Fox Sports shared a small clip from the game in which Ohtani can be seen rubbing off his eyes.

"When the alarm went off this morning," the broadcaster wrote in the caption.

The video was from the top of the eighth inning when Ohtani can be seen on the bench, facing some issues with his eyes. It soon went viral on the social media platform as fans could relate to it after getting early in the day to watch their favourite stars live.

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Fans React

As the video gained significant attraction on X, garnering over 62,000 views, fans were quick enough to highlight their personal struggles in the comments section to catch the game.

"This was me at 5:45 EST," one person wrote, while sharing a meme of The Undertaker from WWE.

A second person said that his teenage son had set an alarm for 5 AM in the morning to watch the game. "My 13 yr old son set his alarm for 5 am. We've been up since! Go Cubs," the person wrote.

Last time, Ohtani registered the best offensive season of his career, which marked him as the first player to reach the 50-50 club. He is the first Dodger to win the MVP award since Cody Bellinger in 2019.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs

The reigning World Series champion started their 2025 MLB season in Japan on a winning note after registering a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday.

The Tokyo Series' opening game majorly saw the Dodgers remaining at the forefront, even after the Cubs traded for star right fielder Kyle Tucker.

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FAQs

1. Where was the Los Angeles Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs game played in Japan?
The opening game was played at Tokyo Dome, a 55,000-seat indoor stadium.

2. Where to watch MLB Tokyo Series 2025?
Fans can catch all the live action on FS1 and Fox at streaming platforms like Fubo, Hulu and others.