It’s time to set our alarms, fantasy lineups and metaphysical expectations … because Major League Baseball is back in our lives. The season opener in Japan, showcasing the starry Chicago Cubs and even starrier Los Angeles Dodgers, catches American audiences early in the morning Tuesday (5 a.m. local time in Chicago and 3 a.m. in L.A.). Thus begins what Brooks Robinson called “passion to the point of obsession,” and what Ebby LaLoosh realized to be “a very simple game.”
How to watch the MLB Tokyo Series (Cubs vs. Dodgers)
- Venue: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo
- Dates: Tues., March 18 and Wed., March 19
- Time: 6 a.m. ET
- TV (national): Fox, FS1 and Fox Deportes
- TV (in-market): Spectrum SportsNet, Marquee Sports Network
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
Three of the four scheduled starters hail from Japan. Tuesday’s matchup will be between Chicago’s Shota Imanaga and LA’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto, while fellow Dodger Roki Sasaki takes the bump Wednesday against Cubs southpaw Justin Steele. Before this year, the only Japanese players to throw an MLB pitch at the Tokyo Dome were Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima and Yusei Kikuchi.
On the other side, at the plate, Japanese national and Chicago outfielder Seiya Suzuki is taking batting practice swings with a samurai sword.
The defending champion Dodgers harbor colossal expectations for 2025. Not every World Series winner gets the chance to run it back with the same roster (our apologies, Marlins). Seldom few give it a go with a new ace pitcher added to the staff … let alone two. The Japanese phenom Sasaki and two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell both chose the blue and white this winter. They join an absolutely stacked squad with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and so many other solid contributors.
The Cubs’ offseason was headlined by the Kyle Tucker acquisition. It was one of the franchise’s most aggressive moves in years. Tucker, who just turned 28, averaged 30 home runs, 104 RBI and 23 steals in his last three healthy seasons in Houston. He had 23 long balls across just 78 games in 2024, missing half the campaign with a shin fracture. Chicago also bolstered its pitching with fiery closer Ryan Pressly and veteran lefty Matt Boyd.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden predicts that both teams will win their respective divisions.
Cubs beat writer Sahadev Sharma on Chicago’s pitching:
“The Cubs continue to keep tabs on free-agent pitchers, checking in on Lance Lynn and others, but they’re happy with their depth and don’t appear to be on the verge of adding anyone to a major-league deal just yet.
‘I think we’re in a good place,’ Counsell said of his pitching staff. ‘Essentially because we’re healthy. But we have nine games until (domestic) Opening Day. A lot can change between now and then. Something will happen, I’m sure.’”
Last year’s series: The Cubs won four of six meetings with the eventual World Series champs. They averaged a full seven runs per game.
Last year’s rankings: The Dodgers were second in runs, third in homers and fourth in batting average. They finished 13th in team ERA. The Cubs were 10th in ERA but fell below league averages in slugging and OPS.
Most win shares for both franchises (via Baseball Reference):
- Billy Herman (55.1, 1931-46)
- Bill Dahlen (54.6, 1891-1911)
- Ron Cey (53.8, 1971-86)
Last five MLB All-Stars to wear both jerseys:
- Cody Bellinger
- Joc Pederson
- Craig Kimbrel
- Yu Darvish
- Jason Heyward
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(Photo of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki: Philip Fong / AFP via Getty Images)
