As teams prepare for Spring Training and set their sights on their opening series for the season, the Chicago Cubs will be playing the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Tokyo Dome in Japan to kick off the year. Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced that Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga will be penciled in as a starter for one of those games.
When Counsell was asked about the southpaw taking the mound in his home country of Japan, he smiled and said, “I don’t think I have a choice.”
The Cubs rookie had a memorable rookie season in 2024, pitching to a 15-3 record, posting a 2.91 ERA in 29 starts, striking out 174, and only walking 28 across 173.1 innings of work.
He also finished the year as an All-Star, finishing fifth in N.L. Cy Young Voting, and finishing in fourth in N.L. Rookie of the Year voting.
The Cubs have been tremendously busy this offseason, as they flipped Cody Bellinger to the Yankees but acquired some valuable pieces. The team added starting pitchers Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea to one-year deals, so it will be interesting to see how they are used with Jordan Wick, and Ben Brown sidelined due to injuries.
They’ve strengthened their bullpen by trading for All-Star closer Ryan Pressly from the Astros and adding Ryan Brasier from the Dodgers. They also acquired outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros earlier this offseason.
Both teams will face off in Japan on March 18-19. In addition to the Opening Series, on March 15, the Cubs will face the Hanshin Tigers in an exhibition game, while the Dodgers will face the Yomiuri Giants. On March 16, the Dodgers will face the Tigers, while the Cubs will square off against the Giants.
