Dodgers, Cubs Confirmed To Open The 2025 Season In Japan

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Major League Baseball officially announced on Thursday that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will open the 2025 season at the Tokyo Dome in Japan next March.

The long-rumored move ensures that the game's biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, will once again play in front of his home fans, as well as Cubs starter Shota Imanaga. Imanaga's been one of baseball's best pitchers in 2024, making the All-Star team in his debut season. 

The series continues MLB's "World Tour," where the league has staged numerous regular season games internationally. In 2024, the season opened with the Dodgers and San Diego Padres playing in South Korea, and the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies played in London this summer.

But 2025 will mark the first return to Tokyo for Major League Baseball since the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics played there in 2019. 

Tokyo MLB

Mar 21, 2019; Tokyo,JPN; Fans cheer as Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki (51) (not pictured) walks around the field after the game against the Oakland Athletics at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

MLB Puts International Growth Over Competitive Integrity

The international series games are fun for fans in other countries and certainly grow the popularity of Major League Baseball in host countries. But they're also a competitive disaster.

Travel times are difficult for organizations and players to deal with, and given the compressed spring training for the teams involved, health risks are real. The Tokyo games will be held starting on March 18th, meaning pitchers will have just a few weeks of build up before having to pitch competitive innings.

This year's games were messy, to say the least. Poor defense was common between the Dodgers and Padres, Yoshinobu Yamamoto got through just one inning, and game two was a 15-11 slug fest.

The Tokyo games may or may not be ugly baseball, but they will provide Japanese fans an opportunity to see Ohtani up close. Given his recovery from Tommy John surgery and rehab work on the mound, it's possible that one of the games could see an Ohtani-Imanaga starting pitcher matchup.

Meanwhile, the league also announced the Oakland A's will open their season at a minor league stadium at the end of March. It should be equally fun to watch.