Part 6/14:
Over time, however, the relationship between MLB and Japanese baseball evolved. Starting with players like Hideo Nomo in the mid-1990s, who exploited a loophole to jump directly to Major League Baseball, Japanese talent began to make a significant impact on American baseball. Nomo's success paved the way for a wave of Japanese stars like Ichiro Suzuki, whose consistent performance and high hit totals proved that Japanese players could excel in the U.S.