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In 2025, the MLB regular season will begin in Tokyo, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs set to take part in a two-game set on March 18 and 19 at the Tokyo Dome. The traditional Opening Day with all 30 Major League Clubs will take place on March 27.
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This will mark the second consecutive year that MLB has opened its season overseas. This season, the Dodgers traveled to Korea to face the San Diego Padres in a similar two-game set.
It is unsurprising that the Dodgers and Cubs were picked for this. The Dodgers are very popular in Japan thanks to Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, two of the most prominent MLB players from Japan of all time.
The Cubs make a lot of sense because they have Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga, two more prominent Japanese players. The local fans will see plenty of their country's exports in action during this game.
This news comes after an initial report that the Dodgers had pulled out of this game, citing the need to avoid such travel for two seasons in a row and sacrificing one home game.
How did the Dodgers do in the Seoul Series?
Playing internationally, no matter where it is, is a unique challenge for all baseball teams. It's a different atmosphere, and the time change is another major adjustment. The Los Angeles Dodgers, when they travel to Tokyo next year, will not be unfamiliar with that.
They opened the 2024 MLB regular season against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea. They traveled over for two exhibition games and then two regular season games.
In a fitting sense, considering what their season has been so far, the Dodgers split with the Padres. Everyone expected a sweep, but they didn't do that. Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were on the mound.
The team was inconsistent and has, despite the efforts of their top superstars, continued to be a little inconsistent this season. They're still in a great position, but many fans and analysts expected them to be the league's best team at this point, and they're not.
