Shohei Ohtani's historic big league debut wasn't the only story coming out of the majors this year, but it often seemed like it.
The ups and downs of the hard-hitting, hard-throwing American League Rookie of the Year captured imaginations on both sides of the Pacific, but there was plenty else going with the other seven Japanese major leaguers while "Sho time" renewed two-way interest in the United States and earned some comparisons to the legendary Babe Ruth.
After a winter in which many older free agents were frozen out, Ichiro Suzuki was among those still looking for a job after the start of spring training. An injury opened the door for his return to the Seattle Mariners before his career took an unexpected turn.