eBaseball: MLB Pro Spirit launches with advertising campaign fronted by Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani

• eBaseball, Konami's new sports simulation game, launches today
• To mark the occasion, MLB star Shohei Ohtani fronts a new promotional campaign
• You can recruit the Dodgers pro into your own team in-game

It's a big day for baseball fans, at least those who are mobile gamers. That's because Konami's latest major effort in the sports simulation genre is now live as eBaseball: MLB Pro Spirit, hits storefronts on iOS and Android. And not only that, but they've also shown off their new cover star, Los Angeles Dodgers hitter Shohei Ohtani.

Boasting every single current MLB roster team, as well as their home stadiums and active players, eBaseball will also feature the star athlete on their cover and advertising. Ohtani, whose 50th home-run ball recently sold for a whopping $4.39 million, is also available for players to recruit to their lineup as soon as they start.

Promising to offer a realistic depiction of the sport, in contrast to more stylised fare like Haegin's HomeRun Clash 2 (which boasts appearances by other real-world players) eBaseball joins eFootball in strengthening Konami's growing athletics-themed lineup.

Hit a homer

While I'm not exactly sports-mad, I do have a soft spot for baseball, and it's rather fitting that a Japanese company like Konami is shining the spotlight on a player from their home country, even one who has taken his talents overseas. I'm also confident that this is a game that'll fill a niche that until now has gone underexploited, and might just reveal that there's a truly hardcore base of sports fans out there hungry for more realistic games.

Want to get your own sports sensation in the palm of your hand? Then why not check out our ranking of the top 25 sports games for Android and iOS right here on the site?

And while you're here, be sure to nominate your favourites for the accolade of top dog this year by casting your vote in the nominations for the Pocket Gamer Awards 2024.