Major League Baseball’s season-opening Tokyo Series between the Dodgers and Cubs on March 18-19 is set to be broadcast on FOX/FS1. This exciting matchup is particularly noteworthy as it could feature two Japanese-born pitchers competing in their homeland for the first time in a major league game, adding a layer of cultural significance to the event.
Both games will commence at 6 a.m. ET, with the March 18 contest airing on FOX/FOX Deportes, followed by the March 19 game on FS1/FOX Deportes. Fans can also catch the action streaming live on the FOX Sports app. This series will showcase some of Japan’s most talented MLB players, including Shohei Ohtani and Seiya Suzuki, alongside a host of impressive pitchers.
As the starting matchups are still being finalized, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shōta Imanaga, and Rōki Sasaki are potential candidates to become the fourth, fifth, and sixth Japanese players to pitch at the iconic Tokyo Dome for their big-league clubs. They would join the ranks of Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima, and Yusei Kikuchi, who made history by starting Ichiro Suzuki’s final big-league game at this venue in 2019, the last time MLB games were held there.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has indicated that he anticipates Yamamoto will take the mound for the opener, while Sasaki may pitch in Game 2, depending on his readiness. If Sasaki does make his debut, it will be a highly anticipated moment, as he signed with the Dodgers in January as the top international free agent. Meanwhile, Cubs manager Craig Counsell has confirmed that Imanaga will pitch in Japan, although he has not disclosed whether it will be during the Opening Day game.
Ohtani is expected to be available to hit but not pitch for the series opener due to recent shoulder surgery and a UCL repair in 2023. Despite not pitching last season, Ohtani still clinched his third MVP award in his debut year with the Dodgers, achieving a historic 50/50 season.
Both Imanaga and Yamamoto are entering their second season in the big leagues after impressive rookie years. Imanaga finished the last season with a record of 15-3 and a 2.91 ERA, securing fourth place in Rookie of the Year voting and fifth in the Cy Young race. Yamamoto, who made headlines by signing a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers, posted a 7-2 record and a 3.00 ERA during the regular season, allowing just one run over 6.1 innings in Game 2 of the World Series.
The 2025 Tokyo Series will be significant as it marks the sixth time MLB has kicked off its regular season in Japan’s capital, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the first regular-season games held in the country, which featured the Cubs and Mets in 2000.
Additionally, this series marks the second consecutive year that the Dodgers will begin their season in Asia, following last year’s Seoul Series in Korea against the Padres.
