When it comes to Shohei Otani, the idea of him one day playing in the major leagues is often discussed with an assuredness that implies most believe a move to the majors is a matter of when, not if. Otani got that ball rolling himself by boldly declaring he was going to MLB straight out of high school, before being persuaded to remain in Japan and hone his skills with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.

The young pitcher's ability and skill suggest he's MLB-caliber, the numbers he's put up in his first two NPB seasons tell the same story, and he's only getting better.

So of course there was palpable excitement among Japanese baseball fans when Otani was announced as a member of the Samurai Japan team scheduled to face a squad of major leaguers in the MLB-Japan All-Star Series, because it'd be a chance to see the 20-year old face MLB competition, even in a somewhat abnormal setting.