Shohei Ohtani gets to enjoy a homecoming next March.
The 2025 MLB schedule was announced on Thursday, and so was the unveiling of the league's next instalment of the its World Tour series. Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers will face the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo for two games to start the season March 18-19.
It will mark the sixth time in MLB history the league goes to the Tokyo Dome. These matchups will fall on the 25th anniversary of the league's first visit to Japan, which saw regular-season games held in March 2000 between the Cubs and the New York Mets.
This return for the Cubs will be their third time playing internationally, after the original 2000 Tokyo Series as well as the 2023 London Series.
This will be the Dodgers’ first time playing in Japan, though the franchise has previously participated in three international series (2014 in Sydney, Australia, 2018 in Monterrey, Mexico, and 2024 in Seoul).
The Tokyo Series could feature at least four natives of Japan: Ohtani alongside right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers, as well as the 30-year-old star rookie pitcher Shota Imanaga and outfielder Seiya Suzuki for the Cubs.
While these games kick things off earlier for the MLB season, the traditional Opening Day will feature all 30 teams in action on March 27.
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