For the first time in Major League Baseball‘s 150-year history, the 2025 season is set to begin and conclude beyond the borders of the United States, marking a seismic shift for America’s pastime. The season kicked off on March 20, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan, with the Los Angeles Dodgers facing the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome, and it will culminate on October 31 or November 1, in Toronto, Canada, with the World Series finale at Rogers Centre.
This unprecedented move reflects the global expansion of a sport long regarded as the quintessential American tradition, challenging its historical identity. Baseball’s roots as America’s pastime trace back to the mid-19th century, with the formation of the National League in 1876 and the American League in 1901. Born from Civil War-era games and mythologized as Abner Doubleday’s creation in Cooperstown, it became a cultural cornerstone, uniting generations through figures like Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson.
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The sport’s seasons traditionally opened in the U.S.-often in cities like Cincinnati or New York-and ended with the World Series in American stadiums, reinforcing its national identity. Even international games, like the 2000 Tokyo opener, were exhibition matches, not season-defining events. The 2025 shift began with a bang in Tokyo, where Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers drew a sellout crowd of 55,000, per MLB International reports, showcasing baseball’s growing Asian appeal.
The fact that the season will end in Toronto, with the Blue Jays hosting the decisive World Series game against the Dodgers, underscores Canada’s deep baseball heritage-highlighted by their 1992 and 1993 titles-and the league’s cross-border strategy. This dual relocation was driven by lucrative international TV deals and fan demand, with MLB projecting a 15% revenue boost, according to Forbes.
MLB’s 2025 season goes international
Yet, this departure from U.S. soil stirs debate. Purists argue it dilutes baseball’s American essence, a sentiment echoed in a New York Times op-ed questioning the sport’s soul. Others see it as evolution, mirroring the NFL’s London games or the NBA’s global preseason.
As the season wraps in Toronto on October 31 or November 1, with the Blue Jays leading the series 3-2 after Game 5 on October 29, the outcome will test whether this global pivot enhances or challenges baseball’s legacy. For now, America’s pastime is stepping onto a world stage, redefining its identity in 2025.
