Cubs vs Dodgers 2025 Tokyo Opener: Historic Matchup Featuring Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Image credits: Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers are set to make history in their 2025 season opener, with left-hander Shota Imanaga facing right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Tokyo, Japan. This matchup marks the first time two Japan-born pitchers have started against each other in a major league regular-season game in their home country. Imanaga, who had a strong rookie season with a 15-3 record and a 2.91 ERA, is honored to receive the Opening Day start. The Cubs announced Imanaga as the starter, and president Jed Hoyer believes this matchup will generate significant fan interest worldwide.

Yamamoto, who signed a $325 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December 2023, finished his rookie season with a 7-2 record and a 3.00 ERA. The right-hander was on the injured list for nearly three months with an injured throwing arm but is expected to be ready for the season opener. The Dodgers will counter Imanaga with Yamamoto, making this a highly anticipated matchup. Imanaga has expressed his gratitude to the Japanese players who came before him, creating a path for him and other Japanese players to succeed in the major leagues.

The Tokyo Series will feature two games between the Cubs and Dodgers, with the first game taking place on March 18. The Cubs hope to get their regulars about 20 at-bats before the opener, as they try to gauge the number of at-bats needed to get hitters prepared for a regular-season game with a shorter ramp-up than normal. The team will begin Cactus League play on Thursday, facing the Dodgers in a game televised on MLB Network. Here are the scheduled games for the Cubs' first few days of Cactus League play:

• Thursday: Cubs vs. Dodgers at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.
• Friday: Cubs vs. Dodgers at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz.
• Saturday: Cubs vs. White Sox at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz.
• Sunday: Cubs vs. Texas Rangers at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz.

The Cubs' home schedule is front-loaded with 12 games before the Japan trip and five after the Cubs return to Mesa.

Imanaga is likely to throw only 65 pitches or so in the game because he’s still building up arm strength in spring training. The Cubs' manager, Craig Counsell, hopes to get Imanaga and other regulars ready for the season opener. The team is also experimenting with the automated ball-strike (ABS) system, which will be used in selected spring training games. The MLB is testing this system, which was implemented in Triple A last year, to potentially use it in future games.

The Cubs' first home game is expected to be a sellout or near-sellout, with Marquee Sports Network televising all three games. The team annually leads the 15 Cactus League teams in attendance and expects an influx of many last-minute snowbirds from Chicago trying to flee the latest polar vortex. The atmosphere at Sloan Park is expected to be electric, with Counsell saying it adds something for everybody. The Cubs have also signed Justin Turner to a one-year deal, and he is expected to join the team soon.