The Los Angeles Dodgers have finalized their roster for the upcoming Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs, and the matchups on the mound are set to deliver fireworks. The two-game series, set to take place at the iconic Tokyo Dome, will feature marquee starting pitching duels that are sure to captivate baseball fans worldwide.
The Dodgers announced that Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the highly touted Japanese ace who signed a record-breaking deal with the team this offseason, will take the mound in Game 1. Yamamoto, a three-time Sawamura Award winner in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), will have the opportunity to showcase his talent on home soil in front of an electric Tokyo crowd. His start will mark his much-anticipated Dodgers debut, and expectations are sky-high for the 25-year-old right-hander.
Opposing Yamamoto in the opener will be the Cubs’ veteran lefty Justin Steele, who is coming off a breakout 2023 campaign in which he posted a stellar 3.06 ERA and finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting. Steele, the Cubs’ ace, will look to spoil Yamamoto’s homecoming and give Chicago an early edge in the series.
For Game 2, the Dodgers will send another star to the mound in Tyler Glasnow.
The towering right-hander, who was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason, has electric stuff and is poised to be a key figure in the Dodgers’ rotation. He will face off against the Cubs’ Japanese right-hander Shota Imanaga, another prized offseason signing. Imanaga, who pitched for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in NPB, will also get the chance to perform in front of his home-country fans.
The Tokyo Series, serving as a global showcase for Major League Baseball, will officially kick off the 2025 season. The Dodgers, widely regarded as World Series favorites, will look to start their campaign on a high note, while the Cubs hope to make an early statement.
With these stellar pitching matchups, baseball fans can expect a thrilling start to the season in Tokyo.
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