July 18th, 2024
Andrew Simon
@AndrewSimonMLBThe All-Star break will end on Friday, when MLB resumes its regular-season slate and head toward the stretch run. But it’s not too early to look a bit further into the future.
On Thursday, Major League Baseball released its 2025 regular-season schedule. Of course, the final results of the 2024 season -- and what happens on the Hot Stove after that -- will go a long way toward determining the juiciest matchups we can look forward to next year.
- MLB 2025 regular-season schedule
But for now, here are five key dates you should go ahead and mark on your calendar:
March 18-19: Tokyo Series
The 2025 season will begin in Japan at the Tokyo Dome, with the Dodgers and Cubs squaring off in the Tokyo Series presented by Guggenheim. In the latest installment of MLB’s WORLD TOUR, a season opener will take place in Tokyo for the sixth time in MLB history. This will also be the 25th anniversary of the first regular-season games being held in Japan, when the Cubs faced the Mets at the Tokyo Dome on March 29-30, 2000. Since then, the site has also played host to openers in 2004 (Yankees vs. Devil Rays), 2008 (Red Sox vs. A’s) and 2012 (Mariners vs. A’s).
- A history of MLB Opening Days played abroad
Therefore, this will be the Dodgers’ first time playing in Japan, though the franchise has previously participated in three international series (2014 in Sydney, Australia, 2018 in Monterrey, Mexico, and 2024 in Seoul, South Korea.) This will be the Cubs’ third time playing internationally, after the 2000 Tokyo Series and the 2023 London Series.
- MLB’s history of games played abroad
The Dodgers, of course, have a proud history of Japanese players, from Hideo Nomo’s arrival in 1995 to Shohei Ohtani’s in 2024. While it is of course too early to know these teams’ exact 2025 Opening Day rosters, the Tokyo Series figures to feature at least four natives of Japan: Ohtani and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers, as well as left-hander Shota Imanaga and outfielder Seiya Suzuki for the Cubs.
— MLB (@MLB) July 18, 2024MLB returns to Japan to start the 2025 regular season!
The @Dodgers and @Cubs will open the season at the Tokyo Dome on March 18-19, 2025. pic.twitter.com/7pdedhLIGq
March 27: Opening Day
While the Cubs and Dodgers will kick things off earlier, MLB’s traditional Opening Day presented by Chevrolet will feature all 30 teams in action. The 15-game slate is the earliest Opening Day in MLB history, excluding special international series. (The season opened on March 28 in both 2019 and ‘24.)
Among the Opening Day highlights: Pirates pitching phenom Paul Skenes could make his first Opening Day start, with the Bucs set to begin the 2025 season in Miami. There will also be five Interleague matchups on that date: Brewers-Yankees, Mets-Astros, Twins-Cardinals, Tigers-Dodgers and Rockies-Rays. The four divisional matchups will be Orioles-Blue Jays, Phillies-Nationals, Guardians-Royals and A’s-Mariners.
— MLB (@MLB) July 18, 2024Mark the date! #OpeningDay 2025 is on March 27.
Who is your squad playing? pic.twitter.com/R7XXCUj6zD
May 16-18: Rivalry Weekend
One key change for 2025 is that prime Interleague rivals will play six games against each other (two three-game series), up from four games (two two-game series) this year. (As a result, each club will have two fewer total games against non-division league opponents.) While the balanced schedule implemented in 2023 means that every club now plays each of the other 29 every season, most Interleague opponents only play each other for one series. In 2025, each club will host the same Interleague opponents as in 2023, while the 2024 host pairings will repeat in ‘26.
This coming year, May 16-18 will bring “Rivalry Weekend” across MLB, with 11 of the 15 series being matchups between prime Interleague rivals. That includes Mets-Yankees, Angels-Dodgers, White Sox-Cubs and Cardinals-Royals, among others. The four non-Interleague matchups -- including Pirates-Phillies and Astros-Rangers -- also will have a regional flavor.
July 15: Atlanta All-Star festivities
Now that the 94th All-Star Game is complete, the Rangers have officially handed off the host baton to the Braves, who are ready to “make Atlanta shine” in 2025. The 95th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will take place on Tuesday, July 15, at Atlanta’s Truist Park.
Truist Park opened in 2017, taking over Turner Field, which hosted Atlanta’s prior All-Star Game in 2000. This will be the third Atlanta ballpark to host a Midsummer Classic, as Atlanta Stadium was the site of the 1972 game.
After the All-Star break, the schedule will resume on Friday, July 18. Among the series slated to open the second half are the Yankees visiting Atlanta and the Red Sox traveling to Wrigley Field.
September 28: Wrap it up
The 2025 regular season will conclude on Sunday, Sept. 28. If any division titles come down to the final series, they could well be decided in head-to-head fashion, with 16 of the 30 teams facing a divisional foe to conclude the schedule. Among those matchups will be Orioles-Yankees in the AL East, Cardinals-Cubs in the NL Central and D-backs-Padres in the NL West.
