Sho-time in Tokyo: Ohtani, Dodgers prepare to open MLB season vs. Cubs on Tuesday

TOKYO (AP) — The Major League Baseball season kicks off Tuesday night at the Tokyo Dome when Shohei Ohtani and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers face the Chicago Cubs.

It's the first of a two-game series and features five Japanese players. Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and rookie Roki Sasaki pitch for the Dodgers while the Cubs have outfielder Seiya Suzuki and left-handed pitcher Shota Imanaga.

The two MLB teams have been in Tokyo for several days, playing exhibition games against two Japanese teams — the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants.

All four exhibition games had a capacity crowd of roughly 42,000. A similar atmosphere is expected for the two MLB games.

“Everybody's very aware of the series, that's evident for sure, more than I feel like it would be America," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “More people are talking about it, absolutely. That's a great feeling. The players love big events, that's why we do this, that's why we love to do it.”

Here are five things to know heading into the MLB opener:

The first game will feature the first all-Japanese pitching matchup on opening day in MLB history. Yamamoto will take the mound for the Dodgers against Imanaga of the Cubs.

Yamamoto is entering his second season with Los Angeles. He was 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA last season and was an important part of the team's World Series championship, with a brilliant performance in a Game 2 win over the Yankees.

Imanaga was an All-Star last year in his first season with the Cubs. The lefty finished with a 15-3 record and a 2.91 ERA in 2024.

The Dodgers will start Sasaki in the second game on Wednesday night.

Third baseman Matt Shaw is expected to make his big league debut for the Cubs on Tuesday. Shaw is one of the team's top prospects and did enough this spring to earn the starting nod.

Shaw was drafted with the No. 13 overall pick in 2020 after playing college baseball at Maryland. He hit .284 with 21 homers and 71 RBIs last season, splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A.

Other young Cubs include third-year outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who hopes to take a big step forward after an encouraging second half of 2024. Rookie second baseman Gage Workman could also make his MLB debut in Tokyo.

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts will not play in either game against the Chicago Cubs because of an illness that’s lingered for the past week.

Manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Betts is starting to feel better but has lost nearly 15 pounds and is still trying to get rehydrated and gain strength. Roberts added that the eight-time All-Star might fly back to the United States before the team in an effort to rest and prepare for the domestic opener on March 27.

Miguel Rojas will start at shortstop in Betts' place.

Set your alarm if you're planning to view the two Tokyo games in the United States. Both games being at 7:10 p.m. in Tokyo, which means it'll be a 6:10 a.m. wake up call in the Eastern time zone.

Many Cubs and Dodgers fans will really need some coffee. Start time in Chicago is 5:10 a.m. while it's 3:10 a.m. in Los Angeles. The game will air nationally on Fox.

This marks the 25th anniversary of the first MLB regular season games played in Japan. The New York Mets and Cubs played a two-game set at the Tokyo Dome in 2000.

Since that series, MLB returned in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2019. The 2019 series featured the Oakland A's and Seattle Mariners, who celebrated the final two games of Ichiro Suzuki's career in his home country. Suzuki will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer.

It's the 10th time that MLB has played regular season games in a spot outside the 50 states. The locations include Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia and last year's series in South Korea.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki bats against the Hanshin Tigers during the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game in Tokyo, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Yomiuri Giants' Naoki Yoshikawa, left, and Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, right, greet each other after their team's MLB Japan Series exhibition baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Chicago Cubs' Shota Imanaga waves to fans during warmups before an MLB Japan Series exhibition baseball game against the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Los Angeles Dodgers first base Freddie Freeman stands by the base in the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo, Japan, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, middle left, poses for photos with members of MISAMO, a subunit of the K-pop girl group TWICE, before an MLB Japan Series exhibition baseball game between the Dodgers and the Hanshin Tigers, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani stands on the field during warmups before a spring training baseball game against the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo, Japan, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) walks on the field during the first inning in an MLB Japan Series exhibition baseball game against the Hanshin Tigers, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

HANOI, Vietnam--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 13, 2026--

FPT, through its global IT services subsidiary FPT Software, has achieved ISO/IEC 42001:2023, the first global standard for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Management Systems. With this milestone, FPT became the first company in Vietnam and the second in Southeast Asia to earn this recognition, underscoring its commitment to responsible AI development and deployment with consideration for fairness and impartiality, privacy and security, safety, quality and robustness, governance, transparency and explainability.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112494011/en/

The certification was issued by the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company SGS and qualified by ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board) - a leading U.S. accreditation body with global recognition. ISO/IEC 42001 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving AI management systems, allowing organizations to effectively manage risks and opportunities associated with AI, balancing innovation with compliance.

Achieving ISO/IEC 42001:2023 reflects FPT’s capability in AI governance, encompassing ethics, risk management, transparency, compliance, and ensuring alignment with both business goals and societal values. It also strengthens FPT’s position as a trusted technology partner for global organizations, especially those in highly regulated industries such as banking and financial services, automotive, healthcare, energy, and the public sector. The milestone further solidifies FPT’s position as an AI-first company, strengthening its foundation for scaling AI responsibly while helping clients navigate evolving regulatory, ethical, and operational challenges associated with AI adoption.

“As an AI-first company, we pledge to prioritize safety, ethics and accountability at every stage of our AI lifecycle. By continuously governing AI development and implementation processes, we provide our clients and partners with the assurance that our solutions are built with responsibility, transparency and adhere to international excellence,” said Dao Duy Cuong, FPT Software EVP and Chief Digital & Technology Officer, FPT Corporation.

FPT actively promotes responsible AI development as a founding member of the AI Alliance led by IBM and Meta, and the Vietnam Ethical AI Committee. The company is committed to embedding rigorous AI governance across its global operations and solution portfolio, including its flagship AI platform FleziPT, which boosts productivity by 30%, accelerates development by 60% and reduces 50% in rework. The company also maintains co-creation partnerships with global leaders like AWS, Microsoft, SAP, and NVIDIA to deliver tailored solutions for industry-specific challenges. Supporting these efforts is a workforce of over 25,000 AI-augmented, globally certified engineers, and world-class infrastructure including cutting-edge AI Factories in Vietnam and Japan, which have been ranked among the world’s Top 40 fastest supercomputers. Expanding its AI footprint, FPT is developing a new Research Center in Gia Lai Province, Vietnam, which is expected to become a critical component of its global AI development network, supporting high-quality talent cultivation for both the local community and the nation.

About FPT

FPT Corporation (FPT) is a globally leading technology and IT services provider headquartered in Vietnam, operating in three core sectors: Technology, Telecommunications, and Education. Over more than three decades, FPT has consistently delivered impactful solutions to millions of individuals and tens of thousands of organizations worldwide. As an AI-first company, FPT is committed to elevating Vietnam’s position on the global tech map and delivering world-class AI-enabled solutions for global enterprises. FPT focuses on three critical transformations: Digital Transformation, Intelligence Transformation, and Green Transformation. In 2024, FPT reported a total revenue of USD 2.47 billion and a workforce of over 54,000 employees across its core businesses. For more information about FPT's global IT services, please visit https://fptsoftware.com.

FPT received ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification during the certification award ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam