Decoy Saves Opening Day
Hardcover – Picture Book, February 3, 2026
HarperCollins · Hardcover · February 3, 2026
From Los Angeles Dodgers all-star Shohei Ohtani comes a fast-paced and heartwarming fictional story about his real-life dog Decoy’s first pitch on Opening Day of the baseball season.
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- Who it’s for
- Readers interested in baseball stories featuring a dog
- Themes
- Baseball, Dog adventures
- Pacing
- Fast
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Start with this bookAbout this book
From Los Angeles Dodgers all-star Shohei Ohtani comes a fast-paced and heartwarming fictional story about his real-life dog Decoy’s first pitch on Opening Day of the baseball season. Decoy can’t wait to throw the first pitch on Opening Day of the new baseball season! The stadium has hot dogs, the biggest backyard he’s ever seen, and thousands of his best human friends. It’s going to be the best day ever, but -- oh, no! -- Decoy forgot his lucky baseball at home!
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Can he get his ball and make it back to the stadium before it’s too late? Shohei Ohtani is the biggest name in baseball and a proud sponsor of animal rescue organizations. Shohei and Decoy hope to use the publication of DECOY SAVES OPENING DAY to support the work these amazing nonprofits do helping dogs find their forever homes. While their fictional counterparts are saving opening day, Shohei and Decoy are working to help real-life animals in need. Step up to the plate with LA Dodger, all-star, and MLB MVP Shohei Ohtani in his adorable debut story about his even more adorable pup, Decoy.
Who it’s for
- Readers interested in baseball stories featuring a dog
- Readers who enjoy a time-pressured quest to retrieve a lost ball
Where it sits
| Dog Stories | 87% |
|---|---|
| Baseball & Softball | 78% |
| Pet Stories | 46% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Dog Stories
- Baseball & Softball
- Friendship
- Authors
- Shohei Ohtani, Michael Blank
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- February 3, 2026
- Format
- Hardcover
- Theme
- Baseball · Dog adventures
- Reading lane
- Dog Stories