The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will play a two-game series in Tokyo, Japan, on Mar. 18 and 19 at the Tokyo Dome to open the MLB season, which originally was planned to be in London.
The MLB found a second home at the Tokyo Dome, which already has many successful series being played there. This prestigious stadium started hosting MLB games in 2000 but has not had an MLB game played there since 2019. The return of the MLB to Tokyo will feature the Chicago Cubs, who participated in the first MLB event in Tokyo on Mar. 29-30, 2000.
According to a report by Nippon.com in 2022, Shohei Ohtani is considered the most famous Japanese athlete. Even though the majority of his success has come from the United States, the Japanese faithfully support him like no other.
Additionally, one can assume that his popularity in Japan has skyrocketed even more since winning the 2023 World Baseball Classic for his home country.
Both teams have highly productive Japanese talent playing for their ball clubs, making these teams the obvious choice to compete in Tokyo. In addition to Ohtani, the Dodgers have pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a highly touted pitcher in last year’s free agency. Although his first season has been riddled with injuries, there are still great expectations for the right-handed Japanese-born pitcher.
The Cubs Japanese pitcher, Shota Imanaga, has exceeded expectations in the MLB, making the all-star game in the first season. In addition to Imanaga, the Cubs have a second Japanese-born player on their 40-man roster, outfielder Seiya Suzuki. Both players will likely receive large ovations on March 18th and 19th when the Cubs and Dodgers kick off their 2025 seasons in Tokyo, Japan.
Photo Credit: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Shota Imanaga #18 of the Chicago Cubs pose for a photo during the 2024 Gatorade All-Star Workout Day. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
