According to the league, the Dodgers' 4-1 victory drew in 25 million viewers across all platforms — a record audience for a baseball game in Japan, and approximately 20 percent of the country's population.

Chicago Cubs fans take pride in being underdogs, a role that ended briefly when they won the World Series in 2016 to end a 107-year drought between championships.

The MLB season opens in Japan on Tuesday with a duel of Japanese stars on the mound. And then there's Shohei Ohtani, too.