For the second consecutive year, Major League Baseball will open its regular season overseas. On March 18 and 19, about one week prior to most teams beginning their seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will play a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. This marks the sixth time in league history that the regular season opener will be held in this baseball-crazed country.
Awful Announcing can confirm that both games will air live across Fox Sports properties. Game 1 will broadcast at 6 a.m. ET on Fox and Fox Deportes, preempting local news programming on the East Coast, while Game 2 will also air at 6 a.m. ET on FS1 and Fox Deportes. Additionally, both games will be available on the respective regional sports networks: Spectrum SportsNet LA for the Dodgers and Marquee Sports Network for the Cubs.
The Tokyo Series will mark a homecoming for the league’s biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, the reigning NL MVP and World Series champion. Ohtani will play his first-ever MLB games in his home country. The Dodgers opened their season last year in nearby Seoul, South Korea, where Ohtani’s star was evident, even beyond Japan. Last year’s Seoul Series was televised by ESPN, which also aired international games in Mexico City and London later in the season. However, there are no additional international games slated for this season beyond the Tokyo Series.
While the television time may be unconventional for the American audience due to the timezone difference, witnessing a generational talent like Ohtani compete in a meaningful game in his homeland will likely entice many baseball fans to rise early or stay up late for a glimpse of history.
