Japan has passed the United States in baseball
· Yahoo Sports
Baseball has a deep history in the United States and is even referred to as “America’s pastime.” However, the truth of the matter is that the U.S. is ceding its status as the top of the sport to a new emerging superpower: Japan.
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On Sunday, Chicago White Sox breakout star Munetaka Murakami had a dominant showing in the Sox’s 12-3 win over the Houston Astros. Murakami finished the day with six RBI and two home runs. It was perfect timing too, on a day when Murakami’s parents threw out the first pitch, and his bobblehead was given to fans; the White Sox celebrated Japanese culture across the stadium by adding sushi push-pops to the food offerings at Rate Field.
The White Sox are far from the only team with a dominant Japanese player. Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is almost certainly the greatest player the sport has ever seen, and barring injury, he will almost certainly win his fifth MVP award for his play this season.
It’s not just a two-man show representing Japan in the MLB, either. Ohtani is joined on the Dodgers by standout pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. Toronto Blue Jays rookie Kazuma Okamoto has 23 homers on the year, breaking Ohtani’s record for a Japanese rookie. The Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki has been essential in the heart of Japan’s order.
Still, star power alone isn’t enough to say that the United States is chasing Japan in baseball. It’s the results that do that.
Japan has won three World Baseball Classics, with its last win coming in 2023. The U.S. has only won the event once, in 2017. The good news for the U.S.? Baseball is having a moment in the States (thanks in large part to Ohtani), as sports video essayist Joon Lee noted on his YouTube channel.
This rise in popularity and cultural relevance will only lead to more young athletes taking up the sport and an increase in the talent pool. That’s not all the U.S. has going for it, either. MLB players may be permitted to compete in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. If so, the U.S. won’t have to wait until the next WBC in 2030 to reclaim bragging rights.
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