Perhaps more than ever before, MLB is making a determined effort to grow the popularity of the sport globally, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have played a significant role in that.
A push for the Asian market was revived last season, with the Dodgers playing in South Korea for the Seoul Series. That effort then continued in 2025 with the Tokyo Series that featured the Dodgers as well..
With the final game of the World Series being played north of the boarder at Rogers Centre, the Dodgers are part of MLB making international history.
2025 will be the first time an MLB season starts and ends outside the United States
March 18th: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
World Series Games 6 & 7: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada pic.twitter.com/NEfUwPexjn— MLB (@MLB) October 30, 2025
MLB began playing international games in 1996, but it wasn’t until 2014 that the Dodgers played their first game outside of the United States. L.A.’s two-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks that season were the first games played in Australia.
In 2018, the Dodgers played a three-game series against the San Diego Padres in Mexico City.
The Seoul Series was the Dodgers’ first international contest in five seasons and their first with Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
With Ohtani, Yamamoto and rookie Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers were the logical choice for the Tokyo Series this year. So too were the Chicago Cubs with a roster that included Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki.
Seoul Series: Dodgers split series with Padres
Fresh off a free agency spending spree, the Dodgers headed to Seoul to take on the Padres in a divisional matchup to begin the season.
The Seoul Series marked the first time an MLB game had been played in South Korea.
Tyler Glasnow was a part of the Dodgers’ big offseason and he received the start for Game 1. The right-hander had a solid first showing for his new club after being traded by the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing two runs over five innings.
L.A.’s bullpen shut out the Padres’ offense the rest of the way, with Evan Phillips collecting the save.
The Dodgers a balances offensive attack, with eight different players reaching base and four players with RBI in the 5-2 win.
The second game of the Seoul Series was a much different story for Dodgers’ pitching. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was removed after allowing five runs in just one inning in his MLB debut.
It was but a small bump in the road on what has been an excellent Dodgers career through two seasons.
Mookie Betts had a monster game, driving in six of the team’s 11 runs in the game, but it wasn’t enough.
The bullpen couldn’t keep the Dodgers in the game, allowing nine runs after Yamamoto’s exit.
The Padres won 15-11 to split the Seoul Series.
Tokyo Series: Dodgers sweep Cubs in Japan
Yamamoto got his chance for redemption with an Opening Day start in his home country, and he delivered with five efficient innings.
Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith each drove in one run to power the offense. Four different relievers delivered a scoreless inning to close out the game. That included Tanner Scott, who recorded his first save with the Dodgers in a 4-1 win.
Roki Sasaki then made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in Game 2. He labored through three innings, but only allowed one earned run despite only throwing 44% of his pitches for strikes and walking five.
The bullpen picked Sasaki up, covering the final six innings while allowing just two more runs to cross.
The Dodgers’ offense provided some breathing room with six runs to support the pitching staff. Kiké Hernández drove in half of that with three RBI in the 6-3 win.
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