Nearly 25 years after Ichiro Suzuki embarked on a Hall of Fame career for the Mariners, the impact of Japanese players is as prevalent as ever going into this week’s games in Tokyo.

The Los Angeles Dodgers face the Chicago Cubs in the MLB regular season opener on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 (3/18/25) at Tokyo Dome in Bunkyō, Japan.

Major League Baseball's 2025 Opening Day is less than two weeks away. As such, it is never too early to keep tabs on each team's Opening Day starter. These announcements have come in throughout spring training,

The San Diego Padres named right-hander Michael King as their Opening Day starter against the visiting Atlanta Braves on March 27. King was chosen for the assignments over fellow right-handers Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish.

Michael King, who in his first full season as a starting pitcher finished seventh in National League Cy Young voting, will have the honor of being the opening-day starter in his second season with the club.