International Baseball legends Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga to star in Tokyo MLB opener
Major League Baseball (MLB) will open the 2025 season at the Tokyo Dome when the defending World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, face the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Opening Series presented by Guggenheim on Tuesday, 18 March, and Wednesday, 19 March. The other 28 teams will take the field for the traditional Opening Day on Thursday, March 27.
The Tokyo Dome, the host venue of three WBSC Premier12 Finals, will welcome the MLB Opening Day for the sixth time after the series in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2019. Four other countries outside the US have hosted the MLB Opening Day: Mexico in 1999, Puerto Rico in 2001, Australia in 2014 and Korea in 2024.
Four Japanese superstars will highlight the Tokyo Opening Series 2025. Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are on the Dodgers roster. The Chicago Cubs will count on Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga.
Yamamoto, Suzuki and Imanaga helped Samurai Japan win the WBSC Premier12 2019, with Suzuki earning the tournament's MVP Award. Imanaga started two games for Japan and Yamamoto contributed pitching five games out of the bullpen.
Imanaga and Ohtani, who pitched for Japan during the inaugural WBSC Premier12 in 2015, starred for their national team at the World Baseball Classic 2023.
A two-time Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) All-Star, Imanaga, who pitched a no-hitter in 2022, won 15 games in his first MLB season.
Ohtani, the most decorated MLB star of the modern era, opened a new chapter in Baseball history during the 2024 season when he became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.
The 30-year-old is also a proud and generous member of the Los Angeles community.
MLB also announced that the 95th All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard, will take place on Tuesday, July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta. It will be the ballpark’s first Midsummer Classic, the fifth All-Star Game hosted by the Braves, and the third in Atlanta.
Sunday, September 28, will be the last day of the regular season.