The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will kick off the 2025 MLB season as part of the Tokyo Series, featuring a two-game set on March 18 and 19. The reigning 2024 World Series champions will showcase some of the league’s top Japanese talent, including Dodgers pitchers Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, while the Cubs counter with pitcher Shota Imanaga and designated hitter Seiya Suzuki.
The unofficial Opening Day should deliver high-intensity baseball in the historic Tokyo Dome, which has a capacity of around 43,500 for baseball games. Fans in the U.S. can catch the action live, with the March 18 game airing on Fox at 6 a.m. ET and the March 19 game on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) at the same time.
For local viewers in Los Angeles and Chicago, both games will be available on SportsNet LA and Marquee, respectively.
If you’re looking to stream the series, platforms such as Fubo, DirecTV, Hulu, Sling TV, YouTube TV, the Fox Sports App, and MLB.TV will also carry the games.
The 2025 Tokyo Series is must-watch baseball
MLB’s ongoing effort to expand its global reach continues, once again tapping into Japan’s passionate baseball fanbase. Last season, the league kicked off its schedule just two and a half hours away in South Korea, where the Dodgers and San Diego Padres played a two-game series at Gocheok SkyDome.
The two teams enter the 2025 season on very different trajectories. The Dodgers aim to defend their title and become the first team to win back-to-back World Series since the New York Yankees' three-peat from 1998 to 2000. Meanwhile, the Cubs remain competitive after trading for Kyle Tucker but have yet to establish themselves as legitimate National League contenders.
Despite the Dodgers ruling shortstop Mookie Betts out for the series due to illness, both teams should put on a show — not just for the fans in Japan, but for the entire MLB audience.