Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow drops Justin Bieber’s name as example to explain Shohei Ohtani’s popularity in Japan ahead of 2025 season opener against Cubs

Tyler Glasnow used Justin Bieber's stardom to explain the popularity of Shohei Ohtani in his home country of Japan.

Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow drops Justin Bieber’s name as example to explain Shohei Ohtani’s popularity in Japan ahead of 2025 season opener against Cubs

Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Justin Bieber (Image via X/True Blue LA)

Shohei Ohtani is currently one of the most popular athletes in the sport. He has garnered a huge fan following with his unique two-way playing abilities. Ahead of the 2025 season opener in Japan, his teammate Tyler Glasnow dropped the name of pop star Justin Bieber and used him as an example to explain his influence in his home country.

Bieber is obviously one of the top pop artists in the world. With a fan following of 294 million on Instagram, the Canadian musician is one of the most popular artist across the globe.

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Ahead of the Tokyo Series, Glasnow compared the stardom of the two stars. In an interview with SportsNet LA, the southpaw claimed that Ohtani was ’10 times’ over than Bieber in his home land while speaking on the atmosphere for the season opener.

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Wild. Like, Shohei Ohtani is like Justin Bieber times 10 over there. So, it’s probably gonna be insane. There were a lot of people last year. There’s a lot of people going through the hotel and every day, like, kind of walking around, so I’m expecting it to probably be crazy.

Tyler Glasnow said

Glasnow is scheduled to take part in the exhibition games during this upcoming Tokyo Series. Meanwhile, Ohtani’s fellow Japanese teammate, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, is reported to start Game 1 of the series against the Cubs. As for the Cubs, their Japanese star Shota Imanaga will also take part in this series.

The Tokyo Series in Japan will kickstart the new MLB season. For a second year running, the Dodgers will open the new campaign in an Asian country. Last year, they took on their division rivals, the San Diego Padres, in the Seoul Series.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts impressed by Tyler Glasnow’s performance in Spring Training ahead

After an impressive start in his maiden season with the team, Tyler Glasnow suffered an injury that ruled him out of the 2024 postseason run of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In this Spring Training, the left-handed pitcher is trying to get back in form before the new season starts. His manager, Dave Roberts, was left impressed with his recent performance.

Dave Roberts and Tyler Glasnow
Dave Roberts and Tyler Glasnow (Image via Imago/X)

During the Cactus League encounter against the Chicago White Sox, Glasnow started his third game of the 2025 Spring Training. He would pick up 6 strikeouts in the 3 innings (53 pitches) that he threw on Saturday.

I thought he was good. The stuff was good. He felt good out there. His mechanics were good. His strike-throwing was fine. It was good to get him through three innings.

Dave Roberts said

Glasnow will be part of the Dodgers’ pitching rotation to start the season alongside new signees Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. Before missing the postseason, Glasnow made 22 starts in his first season with the Dodgers and picked up 168 strikeouts with a 9-6 record and a 3.49 ERA.