Dodgers Expected To Play Exhibition Games Before Tokyo Series To Open 2025 Season
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are beginning their regular season overseas for a second consecutive year when they take on the Chicago Cubs in Japan for the 2025 Tokyo Series.
It is a continuation of MLB’s initiative to grow the game outside of the United States and North America, and comes on the heels of the Dodgers and Padres opening the 2024 season in Seoul, South Korea.
The change in venue is significant to the Dodgers, as they have been trying to establish themselves as a household organization in Japan since signing Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason. The early results have been more than promising, and the Tokyo Series provides an excellent opportunity for the Dodgers to continue building their foothold in the country.
Part of the Dodgers’ visit to Tokyo is going to include playing exhibition games, similar to the arrangement before the Seoul Series, according to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
The Dodgers are expected to spend a week in Japan and play two exhibition games at the Tokyo Dome before playing two regular-season games against the Chicago Cubs.
In Seoul, the Dodgers played an exhibition game against the Kiwoom Heroes on March 16, and faced Team Korea on March 18 before their first two official games against the Padres from March 20-21.
The teams that the Dodgers will scrimmage against in Japan are not yet known, but the Yomiuri Giants and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) are both located in Tokyo. The Yomiuri Giants’ home stadium is the Tokyo Dome, which is where the Tokyo Series will be played.
The Cubs also have two Japanese players on their roster at the moment, which is most likely why they were chosen for the Tokyo Series as well. Seiya Suzuki signed with the Cubs prior to the 2022 season and Shota Imanaga joined the team last winter.
Dodgers’shirts and hats becoming popular in Japan
Dodgers merchandise is becoming an increasingly common sight in Japan, according to MLB veteran Dallas Kuechel who spent time in Japan playing in the NPB this past season.
Couple that with record World Series viewership numbers from the country, and it looks like the Dodgers are well on their way to building a loyal following in Japan.
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