For the second time in as many seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers are opening their regular season on foreign soil as they are set to take on the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series.
After participating in the Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres in 2024, the Dodgers are headed to the neighboring country of Japan this year.
With four Japanese-born players between them at the time when the matchup was announced, the Dodgers and Cubs were the logical choice for MLB when deciding on which teams to send to Tokyo. That has since increased to five Japanese players on the rosters with the Dodgers’ signing of Roki Sasaki.
This event marks the first time the Dodgers have ever played a regular season game at the Tokyo Dome, while it is the second-ever series for the Cubs. Chicago was a part of the inaugural Tokyo Dome series in 2000, which was the first time MLB ever played a game overseas.
The Dodgers plan to start Yamamoto on Opening Day and if all goes well during Spring Training, Sasaki is due to take the ball in the series finale.
Meanwhile, the Cubs predictably are countering with Shota Imanaga as their Opening Day starter.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shota Imanaga making MLB history
There have been six total regular season series played in the Tokyo Dome, but the Dodgers and Cubs will mark the first matchup between two Japanese-born starting pitchers.
Outside the confines of the Tokyo Series, it is also going to be the first Opening Day matchup between two Japanese-born starting pitchers in MLB history.
Yamamoto made his MLB debut in the Seoul Series and struggled, but ultimately rebounded from that to have a quality rookie season.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has noticed a different demeanor in the right-hander, which he naturally said is to be expected given the year of experience.
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