OSHU CITY, Japan — In Oshu, the small rural town where Shohei Ohtani grew up, baseball is as much a part of the landscape as the farmers’ fields and low-rise hills surrounding it. The area has long been known for its beef and ironwork. Now it’s famous for Ohtani.

Local officials have organized watch parties at community centers in the area where people are given inflatable sticks saying “Shohei Ohtani — The Pride of Oshu City” to wave when cheering for the Los Angeles Dodgers…