Dodgers Expected To Play Exhibition Games Before Tokyo Series To Open 2025 Season

The Los Angeles Dodgers will kick off the 2025 MLB season overseas for the second consecutive year, facing the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series in Japan. This marks another step in Major League Baseball’s efforts to expand its global presence, following the Dodgers and Padres opening the 2024 season in Seoul, South Korea.

This international opening series is especially significant for the Dodgers, who have been working to strengthen their brand in Japan since signing star players Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the previous offseason. Early signs of success have been promising, and the Tokyo Series presents a prime opportunity for the Dodgers to further solidify their standing in the Japanese market.

As part of their trip to Tokyo, the Dodgers are scheduled to play two exhibition games at the Tokyo Dome before their regular-season matchups against the Cubs. The team is expected to spend a week in Japan leading up to the series. This exhibition format mirrors the one used prior to the Seoul Series, where the Dodgers played against the Kiwoom Heroes and Team Korea before their regular-season games against the Padres.

While the opponents for the Dodgers’ exhibition games in Japan have not yet been confirmed, the Yomiuri Giants and Tokyo Yakult Swallows, both prominent teams in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), are based in Tokyo. The Yomiuri Giants play their home games at the Tokyo Dome, the same venue where the Tokyo Series will take place.

The choice of the Chicago Cubs as the Dodgers’ opponent in the Tokyo Series is likely influenced by the presence of two Japanese players on their roster—Seiya Suzuki, who joined the Cubs in 2022, and Shota Imanaga, who came aboard in the most recent offseason.

The Dodgers’ presence in Japan is also reflected in the growing popularity of their merchandise. According to MLB veteran Dallas Keuchel, who played in Japan’s NPB this past season, Dodgers shirts and hats are becoming more common in the country. Combined with record viewership numbers for the World Series from Japan, the Dodgers are clearly making headway in cultivating a devoted fan base in the region.