Dodgers, Cubs to Open 2025 MLB Season in Tokyo, Japan

Major League Baseball has made it official.

After months of speculation, the league confirmed that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will open the 2025 MLB season on March 18 and 19 in Tokyo, Japan.

This year, the Dodgers faced the San Diego Padres in the Seoul Series, a two-game, season-opening series in Seoul, South Korea. Now, a year later, the Dodgers will be back in international waters, this time at the Tokyo Dome in Japan to kick off the 2025 season.

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At this year’s international game, there was just one Korean-born player in Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim. Next year, though, the game will be filled with hometown stars.

Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani leads the way as the most famous Japanese-born player currently in MLB (and maybe ever). Right behind him is Dodgers right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed the richest contract for a pitcher in MLB history at 12 years and $325 million.

On the other side, the Cubs have two Japanese stars of their own. Left-handed pitcher Shota Imanaga is in the midst of an incredible rookie season that saw him make the National League All-Star team. Then, there’s Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, who continues to be one of the better and most consistent outfielders in MLB.

Major League Baseball is continuing to try to expand the game of baseball. In addition to the Korea game this season, the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies also played two games in London.

Japan was an obvious choice for the next international game as the league is littered with Japanese-born stars. Just last year, Team Japan won the 2023 World Baseball Classic, beating Team USA in the Final.

While fans in Japan have had to alter their sleep schedules to keep up with their favorite players and teams in MLB, next year, they’ll get two games on their own schedule.

This will be the sixth time MLB has opened a season in Japan, and 25 years after the first game in Japan. The Dodgers will also make history as the first team to ever open back-to-back seasons in international waters.

While Ohtani is currently rehabbing from surgery to repair a torn UCL and only hitting, he’s on track to continue his two-way abilities in 2025. Thus, it’s feasible that the Dodgers’ starting pitchers for the two games are Japanese stars — Ohtani in one game and Yamamoto in the other.

For the Cubs, Imanaga would certainly be the choice to start one of the two games as the team’s ace. And, of course, Suzuki and Ohtani will be in the lineup as hitters in front of their home crowds.

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