Tens Of Thousands Of Fans Turn Out To Watch Dodgers-Cubs Warmup

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs are in Tokyo, Japan ahead of their season-opening series starting next week. Both teams have Japanese-born players, with the Dodgers bringing Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, while the Cubs have Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga. 

And if the fan reception is any indication, it sure looks like Major League Baseball's effort to grow the game in Japan has been wildly successful.

On Thursday, the two teams held workouts at The Tokyo Dome, where the two games will be played. In years past at international series games, like those in South Korea in 2024, these workouts were closed to the public. But they were open for this year's series. 

Sure enough, quite literally, tens of thousands of people showed up. To watch a workout. Like, stretching on the field and playing catch. 

Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times posted a video of the jaw-dropping crowd size.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is pictured during a workout at Tokyo Dome on March 14, 2025, where he will play in Major League Baseball's season-opening Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs next week. (Photo by Kyodo News/Sipa USA)

Dodgers-Cubs Interest Shows Why Domestic Sports Are Going International

Again, this crowd isn't going to watch a scrimmage, or exhibition game. They're there to watch a workout.

Undoubtedly, much of the crowd size is due to the presence of Shohei Ohtani, who might be the single biggest celebrity in Japan. But it's also a clear indication of why the league has incorporated international series games into its yearly schedule: there's massive room for growth.

Japan has its own domestic baseball league, but the opportunity to see MLB stars still brought out this type of interest. It's why the NFL goes to Europe each year, and why baseball is trying to follow suit there too.

There's little downside, other than schedule disruption, and massive upside. The Dodgers have made no secret about their intention to dominate the fandom in the Japanese market, and next week, they'll start Ohtani at designated hitter, with Yamamoto and Sasaki pitching both games. That's a pretty darn good way to do it.