The Los Angeles Dodgers opened the season with a victory. Among them, "superstar" Shohei Ohtani gave watches to teammates and team staff.
The Dodgers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 in the 2026 Major League Baseball season opener on the 27th (all times KST) at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
New arrival Kyle Tucker had 1 RBI, Mookie Betts had 1 RBI, catcher Will Smith had 3 RBIs, and Andy Pages had 3 RBIs to lead the team to victory. Starter Yamamoto Yoshinobu, who took the mound that day, earned the win after allowing five hits (one home run), recording six strikeouts, issuing no walks and giving up two runs over six innings. After Yamamoto, the bullpen did not allow a run and preserved the team's victory.
Japanese outlet The Digest reported the Dodgers' victory and said Ohtani gave watches to his teammates.
The outlet said, "Ohtani presented meaningful gifts to his teammates before the game, and veteran players were impressed," and "Ohtani gifted the clubhouse players and staff high-end watches from Seiko, with which he has a global partnership." According to the outlet, the watches Ohtani gave were engraved with the message "Let's Three-peat (3연패 하자)".
According to ESPN reporter Alden Gonzalez, the watches cost about $4,000 (about 6.03 million won).
The outlet said, "Teammates were moved by the superstar's unexpected gift." Miguel Rojas said in a pregame interview, "I received a really nice watch from Ohtani. Everyone in the clubhouse is truly grateful."
When asked whether Ohtani intended to boost team morale with the gift, Rojas said, "Ohtani is a very kind person. He shows who he is off the field," and added, "He is a player who genuinely cares about his teammates and the LA community."
Rojas added, "This watch will be unforgettable for life because it is a gift from the world's best player as we head for a three-peat in 2026."
The outlet said, "Ohtani's humane leadership likely had a direct effect on raising team cohesion and morale and was one of the important factors in the season opener victory," and conveyed anecdotes about Ohtani.
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