According to Bob Nightengale, the Cubs and Dodgers have been “privately informed” that they will open the 2025 season in Tokyo, Japan. The Cubs are expected to return back to Arizona after what will presumably be a two-game set, then they’ll start up the rest of the regular season against a West Coast team. The Diamondbacks make an awful lot of sense as an opponent if this is all accurate.
It also makes a whole lot of sense to highlight two teams that feature a pair of Japanese superstars. I can’t say that I’m a big fan of having games start anywhere from 3-6am in the US, but MLB has clearly put a great focus on international series.