When the Los Angeles Dodgers take center stage, the bar is usually set to exceedingly high levels. That was the case when the 2024 World Series champions battled the Chicago Cubs in Japan for MLB’s Tokyo Series on March 18-19, and they undeniably delivered. In addition to starting the 2025 regular season 2-0, LA helped deliver a watershed event for the sport.
“Just how successful was the Tokyo Series between the Dodgers and Cubs?” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale posted on X. “They set MLB records for viewership, merchandise sales, and attendance. It’s the largest standalone international event in Major League Baseball history.
“More than 25 million viewers, the most-watched MLB game in Japan history in Game 1 and 23 million for Game 2. The largest merchandise sales of any MLB international event in history with sales eclipsing $40 million, led by the Shohei Ohtani jersey.”
The Dodgers may wear blue, but they continue to produce green for baseball. Of course, fans did not flock into the world famous Tokyo Dome just to see countrymen Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and the rest of the star-studded ballclub. The Cubs offered plenty of appeal to local fans as well, with All-Star left-handed pitcher Shota Imanaga taking the mound in the opener and outfielder Seiya Suzuki playing both games.
Dodgers-Cubs help MLB reach an enormous audience
Japan is a proud baseball nation, and this spectacle allowed the nation to express it in grand fashion. The beloved Shohei Ohtani batted .375 in the series, smashing a solo home run in the second game. Yamamoto tossed five innings of one-run ball in the opener, while Sasaki labored in his MLB debut (one run allowed and five walks in three innings pitched). Los Angeles outscored Chicago 10-4 in the sweep. Stalwart catcher Will Smith led the way with a .500 batting average and .778 on-base percentage.
Considering the unprecedented success the Tokyo Series achieved, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred may want to maintain an annual presence in Japan. And he will probably want the Dodgers to continue representing the league on such occasions. It should be noted that Mookie Betts (illness) and Freddie Freeman (rib discomfort) did not even play in either of these showdowns. Imagine the buzz surrounding this franchise when it is at full force.
Manfred surely is, as he celebrates the historical significance of this international extravaganza. The Dodgers and Cubs will try to hold on to this adrenaline high when they return to the United States and resume spring training for another few days.
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