Dodgers vs. Cubs: History of Japanese Head-to-Heads
From Ohtani vs. Imanaga to past matchups — we revisit Japanese player duels between the Dodgers and Cubs.
Dodgers vs. Cubs matchups draw attention for their Japanese-player duels, with Ohtani vs. Imanaga the marquee battle of 2026.
Historically, Kenta Maeda (Dodgers) faced Japanese pitchers on other teams across interleague and postseason games.
Given that Ohtani's batting metrics and Imanaga's pitching metrics are both elite, every plate appearance moves full-season numbers noticeably.
Both teams are expected to contend in 2026, making their September head-to-heads potentially decisive for the NL standings.