On Christmas Day, about a month before Shohei Ohtani traveled to the United States for the start of spring training with the Angels, the Nippon-Ham Fighters invited their fans to the Sapporo Dome. Ohtani wanted to say farewell.
An enormous distance remains between that distinction and where Ohtani is now as a 23-year-old prospect who was one for five as the No. 8 hitter in the Angels' opening day lineup. The destination is far enough to where Ohtani acknowledges he doesn't know what it looks like. Ohtani, who will be the team's starting pitcher on Sunday, is not alone.