The Los Angeles Dodgers' "superstar" is definitely different.

A slight change in hairstyle draws a lot of attention. The Japanese media "The Digest" reported on the 25th, "Ohtani's haircut is becoming a hot topic."

Ohtani has tidied up his hair. The media noted, "When Ohtani returned to the bench and took off his helmet, it seemed neat with both sides of his hair trimmed short." The media also mentioned that Ohtani is well-groomed with his eyebrows.

The media also observed fan reactions. Comments included, "I like the new hairstyle," "It looks like he groomed his eyebrows too," "It's clean," "It's refreshing," "The hairstyle is two-block," and "Did Ohtani cut his hair?"

The media said, "I look forward to what kind of performance Ohtani will show this season."

Ohtani recently visited his hometown. His team, the Dodgers, played against the Chicago Cubs in the 2025 Major League Baseball World Tour Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome on the 18th and 19th. He played the first two games of the season in front of his hometown fans.

Fans had a tremendous reaction to the "superstar's" hometown visit. The Japanese sports media "Sports Hochi" reported on the 21st, "Ohtani's popularity is incredible. During the Major League Tokyo Series, merchandise sales reached a staggering 6 billion yen (approximately 590 million won)."

According to the media, the MLB store operated by "Fanatics" in Tokyo saw over 200,000 fans visit in one week. MLB Tokyo Series commemorative merchandise sales reached $40 million (approximately 590 million won).

Ohtani has been unanimously awarded the MVP in Major League Baseball three times (2021, 2023, 2024). Last season, wearing the Dodgers jersey, which invested $700 million (approximately 1.03 trillion won), he recorded a batting average of .310 over 159 games with 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, 134 runs scored, and 59 stolen bases for an OPS of 1.036.

He became the first player in Major League Baseball history to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. He also played in his debut postseason, fulfilling his dream of winning the World Series. This year, he is preparing to continue "dual-position" play, drawing even more attention.

Major League Baseball's official media, MLB.com, stated on the 25th (Korea time), "Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Monday that Ohtani conducted a bullpen session on Saturday (30th). This is the first since his bullpen pitching on February 26. Attention is focused on what kind of season Ohtani will have this year."

knightjisu@osen.co.kr

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