MLB teams may be in the midst of spring training season, but two of the league’s 30 teams, including the Chicago Cubs, are preparing for an uncharacteristically early start to the season in less than two weeks.

Taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a two-game set, the Cubs will start their 2025 season in Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday, March 18.

Due to the massive time difference between Chicago and Tokyo, Cubs fans will have to start their day extra early to catch their team, with first pitch slated for 5:10 a.m.

The two teams will face off again at the same time on Wednesday, March 19. Despite both teams having spring training games scheduled after the Tokyo games, the two games will count as part of the 162-game regular season.

For local viewers, both games will be available to watch on Marquee Sports Network, with the radio broadcast available on 670 The Score.

National viewers will be able to watch Tuesday’s game on Fox, while Wednesday’s game can be seen by a national cable audience on FS1.

The games hold particular importance for the Japanese audience, with several of MLB’s most recognizable Japanese stars playing in the games, headlined by global superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers.

Japanese fans will be treated to a historic Opening Day, as Japan natives Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will face off as the starting pitchers for the Cubs and Dodgers respectively in Tuesday’s game, with young phenom Roki Sasaki also likely to make an appearance for Los Angeles in the series.

The games also mark the first MLB games in Japan for Seiya Suzuki, who will be entering his fourth season on a five-year contract with the Cubs after nine seasons playing in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league.

The Cubs will resume their regular season schedule stateside on Thursday, March 27, when they begin a four-game weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.