The Cubs are headed to Japan. The team announced on Thursday that they’ll kick off the 2025 season with two games against the Dodgers in Tokyo.
The Cubs feature two Japanese players on their roster: outfielder Seiya Suzuki and rookie phenom Shota Imanaga.
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Of course, the Dodgers feature baseball’s biggest star, and fellow Japanese countryman, Shohei Ohtani.
There’s a chance Ohtani will be ready to pitch again by the time the Cubs and Dodgers play in Tokyo, adding extra intrigue to the series. Ohtani underwent elbow surgery last year that will keep him off the mound for all of the 2024 season. The expectation is that he’ll be good to pitch again in 2025. In the meantime, Ohtani has remained one of the best hitters in the game.
This will be the sixth time in MLB history that the league kicks off the regular season in Japan. The Cubs were also part of the first season-opener in Japan when they took on the Mets in 2000.