MLB Releases 2025 Schedule; Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers to Open Season vs. Cubs in Tokyo

MLB released the schedule for the 2025 season on Thursday, and it is headlined by Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani's homecoming.

Ohtani and the Dodgers will open the 2025 campaign on March 18-19 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan against the Chicago Cubs.

Below is a look at more key dates:

• March 18-19: Tokyo Series featuring Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs
• March 27: Opening Day
• May 16-18: Rivalry Weekend
• July 15: 2025 MLB All-Star Game
• September 28: Regular season concludes

Thursday's news comes after USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported earlier this year that the Dodgers and Cubs were "privately informed they have been selected to open the 2025 season in Tokyo." This will be the sixth time in MLB history that a season opener takes place in Tokyo and marks the 25th anniversary of the first MLB games ever to be played in Japan, which featured the Cubs taking on the New York Mets at the Tokyo Dome on March 29-30, 2000.

The Dodgers will be playing in Japan for the first time but are no strangers to international games. Los Angeles opened the 2024 season against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, and also played in Sydney, Australia, in 2014 and Monterrey, Mexico, in 2018. This will be the third international series for the Cubs following their trip to Tokyo in 2000 and London in 2023.

In addition to Ohtani playing in his home country, the series between the Dodgers and Cubs will be homecomings for Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as well as Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga and outfielder Seiya Suzuki.

The 2025 MLB season is sure to bring some excitement, but the second half of the 2024 campaign is about to get underway. The Dodgers will host the Boston Red Sox on Friday, and the Cubs will be in action against the Arizona Diamondbacks.