2025 MLB Season Gets Exciting Start with Dodger’s Victory in Tokyo

On Tuesday, the 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) season kicked off with a thrilling victory for the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Chicago Cubs. The match, carried out in Tokyo, ended with a score of 4-1. Yet, fans may be wondering, when is the official opening day for the remaining MLB teams? The answer isn’t as straightforward as it seems, with two potential start dates: Thursday, March 27 or Friday, March 28.

In the 2025 season, the MLB showcases a unique approach to its opening. This arrangement consists of not one, not two, but three separate opening days spread across different dates. But why would the MLB opt for such an unusual structure? There are several factors at play here that contribute to this decision.

Among the reasons is the inclusion of international matches in the regular season games of MLB. The 2025 season commenced with two teams, namely the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, going head-to-head in an official regular-season match on foreign soil on Tuesday, March 18. The battleground was none other than the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The Dodgers emerged victorious from this game, concluding the match with a score thrashing of 4-1.

However, the fever of the competition did not end there. The Dodgers were again pitted against the Cubs for a second match on Wednesday, March 19. Just like the previous match, this one too took place at the Tokyo Dome, establishing an exciting continuity for the fans. The much-anticipated encounter commenced at 3:10 a.m., according to MST and PDT zones, or 6:10 a.m. as per Eastern Time (ET).

Meanwhile, the bulk of the MLB teams, precisely twenty-six of them, are scheduled to engage in the season-opening matches on the following Thursday, which falls on March 27. But, there are two exceptions. The Colorado Rockies and the Tampa Bay Rays are the only teams who are warming up for their season-opening clash on Friday, March 28.

The showdown between The Rockies and The Rays will take place in a familiar location for many, George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. However, this choice of venue has a sense of novelty attached to it for the regular-season home games. The Rays have switched their usual home field to Steinbrenner, traditionally the training field for the New York Yankees, following damage to their regular haunt, the Tropicana Field, caused by Hurricane Milton.

Detailed below is a list of each team’s first scheduled game of the 2025 season. The specified time corresponds to the zone that the team resides in: The Los Angeles Angels will face the White Sox on March 27 at 1:10 p.m., Pavific Daylight Time (PDT). On the same day, the Houston Astros are poised against the Mets at 3:10 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT).

The Oakland Athletics are set to take on the Mariners at 7:10 p.m. PDT on March 27. The Toronto Blue Jays have been paired with the Orioles, and they will play at 3:07 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), also on March 27. The Braves have a contest with the Padres at 4:10 p.m. ET.

The Brewers, on their part, are playing against the Yankees at 2:05 p.m. CDT on March 27. The Cardinals will face the Twins at 3:15 p.m. CDT on that same day. The Cubs had already boarded the journey with their match against the Dodgers on March 18 at 5:10 a.m. CDT in Tokyo.

Fast forwarding to March 27, the Arizona Diamondbacks are slated against the Cubs at 7:10 p.m. MST that day. The Dodgers had their first game earlier with the Cubs on March 18 at 3:10 a.m. PDT in Tokyo. The Giants and the Reds have their share of action planned for March 27 at 1:10 p.m. PDT.

The Guardians will clash with the Royals at 4:10 p.m. ET on March 27. The Mariners will face off against the Athletics at 7:10 p.m. PDT on the same day. Going over to the Marlins, they have their game against the Pirates on March 27, which will begin at 4:10 p.m. ET.

The Mets plan to enter the field against the Astros on March 27 at 4:10 p.m. ET. The Nationals and the Phillies will come face-to-face at 4:05 p.m. ET on the same day. The Orioles have the Blue Jays for their game, scheduled on March 27 at 3:07 p.m. ET.

The Padres will go head-to-head with the Braves on March 27 at 1:10 p.m. PDT. The Philadelphia Phillies have their game with the Nationals, scheduled on March 27 at 4:05 p.m. ET. Also on March 27, the Pirates will face the Marlins at 4:10 p.m. ET.

The Rangers will play the Red Sox on March 27 at 3:05 p.m. ET. On March 28, the Rays will take on the Rockies at 4:10 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, the Reds have their match with the Giants on March 27 at 4:10 p.m. ET.

On March 27, the Red Sox are set to play the Rangers at 4:05 p.m. ET. The Rockies will have the Rays as their opponent on March 28 at 2:10 p.m., Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). Royals fans can wait for March 27 to see their team against the Guardians at 3:10 p.m. CDT.

On March 27, the Tigers will be up against the Dodgers at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Twins will play the Cardinals at 3:15 p.m. CDT on the same day. The Chicago White Sox will take on the Angels at 3:10 p.m. CDT on March 27. Finally, the Yankees Vs. Brewers match is scheduled at 3:05 p.m. ET on the same day.