MLB's Tokyo Series Showcases Japanese Talent and Global Baseball Ambitions

The Dodgers and Cubs open the 2025 MLB season in Japan, highlighting star players and questions about baseball's future in the country.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will face off in the 2025 MLB season opener at Tokyo Dome, featuring a historic matchup of Japanese starting pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga.
Shohei Ohtani, coming off a record-breaking season, leads a Dodgers team that has become a fan favorite in Japan, drawing massive local interest and sold-out games.
Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly advocates for MLB to modernize its revenue-sharing rules to capitalize on international markets, arguing that current policies hinder global expansion efforts.
Japanese baseball faces challenges as more top players, like Roki Sasaki and young talents Rintaro Sasaki and Shotaro Morii, move directly to MLB or bypass Nippon Professional Baseball entirely.
MLB officials emphasize the importance of local leagues for talent development, while Japanese baseball authorities express confidence in maintaining domestic interest despite the outflow of players.