The road to the 2025 MLB season begins today (February 20) as the Chicago Cubs and reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers face off in the first preseason game of the year. The two National League powerhouses will open Cactus League play at Camelback Ranch in Arizona before heading overseas for an international showcase in Japan.
Following their spring opener, both teams will travel to Tokyo to compete in the Tokyo Series, a set of exhibition games against Japan’s top professional clubs. On March 15, the Cubs will take on the Hanshin Tigers, while the Dodgers will face the Yomiuri Giants. The matchups will switch the following day, setting the stage for the official start of the MLB regular season.
The main event of the Tokyo Series, presented by Guggenheim, takes place on March 18 and 19 at the Tokyo Dome, where the Dodgers will meet the Cubs in a highly anticipated showdown. The series will be a homecoming for several Japanese stars, including Los Angeles’ Shohei Ohtani (Oshu, Japan) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Bizen, Japan), as well as Chicago’s Shota Imanaga (Kitakyushu, Japan) and Seiya Suzuki (Arakawa, Japan).
Pitching Matchups and Key Players
Cody Poteet, acquired from the Yankees in the offseason trade that sent Cody Bellinger to New York, is set to start for the Cubs in the Cactus League opener. Chicago will also get a look at several arms from their MLB camp, including Brad Keller, Daniel Palencia, No. 17 prospect Jack Neely, and Brooks Kriske.
For the Dodgers, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the mound, giving fans an early glimpse of the ace expected to start Game 1 of the Tokyo Series. After an impressive rookie season in 2024, Yamamoto enters his second year with high expectations and has already looked sharp in camp.
On the offensive side, most of the Cubs’ core position players will sit out the opener, though first baseman Michael Busch, who was acquired from the Dodgers before last season, is expected to play. Busch delivered a strong rookie campaign 2024, posting 21 home runs, 28 doubles, 65 RBIs, and a .775 OPS over 152 games.
The Dodgers will rest many of their regulars, though stars like Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández remain candidates to see action.
New Technology on Display
In addition to live game action, today’s matchup at Camelback Ranch will debut MLB’s ABS Challenge System, an automated ball-strike tracking technology powered by Hawk-Eye. Each team will have two challenges per game, allowing the batter, pitcher, or catcher to contest an umpire’s call in real time—without input from the dugout.
With an early glimpse at two World Series contenders, Japanese stars returning home, and cutting-edge technology making its debut, the 2025 MLB preseason is off to an exciting start.