Everyone thinks they know how a championship hangover works. You win it all, you celebrate too hard, and you stumble out of the gate the next year. But the 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers apparently didn't get that memo. Honestly, looking back at the Dodgers 2025 season schedule, the way this team navigated a brutal travel itinerary while defending a title was nothing short of a masterclass in roster depth.
We’re talking about a season that literally started on the other side of the planet. While most of the league was still playing meaningless Spring Training games in Florida and Arizona, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were back in their home country, headlining the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs.
It wasn't just a PR stunt. It was the start of a 162-game grind that saw the Dodgers finish with a 93-69 record, another NL West crown, and eventually, a back-to-back World Series title. If you’re trying to piece together how the year actually unfolded or where the turning points were, you have to look at the calendar. The schedule wasn't just a list of games; it was the ultimate stress test.
The Tokyo Start and the 8-0 Record That Broke History
The Dodgers 2025 season schedule kicked off with a bang at the Tokyo Dome on March 18 and 19. If you were a fan in LA, you were likely waking up at 3:00 AM to watch Yamamoto dominate in Game 1. That 4-1 win over the Cubs set a tone.
The most surprising part?
The Dodgers didn't just survive the jet lag. They thrived on it. They returned stateside and proceeded to sweep the Detroit Tigers in their domestic home opener starting March 27. By the time they finished a series with the Braves in early April, they were 8-0. That’s a historic mark. They became the first defending World Series champions to start a season with eight straight wins, finally eclipsing a record held by the 1933 Yankees.
Key Matchups: Why May and June Felt Like October
If you ask any die-hard fan what the most intense part of the year was, they’ll point to the "New York Gauntlet." Between May 30 and June 5, Dodger Stadium basically became the center of the baseball universe.
First, the Yankees came to town for a three-game World Series rematch. The atmosphere was playoff-level intense. The Dodgers took the first two games, including a lopsided 18-2 blowout on May 31 where the offense just didn't stop. Immediately after the Yankees left, the Mets arrived for four games. It was a relentless stretch of high-leverage baseball that tested the bullpen early.
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But the real rivalry heat stayed in the division. The Padres and Giants series were, as usual, absolute dogfights. The Dodgers 2025 season schedule was back-loaded with these divisional matchups. In September alone, they had to face the Giants and Padres in the final weeks, clinching the division on September 25.
Significant Dates You Might Have Missed
- March 18-19: The Tokyo Series vs. Chicago Cubs (The official season opener).
- March 27: Domestic Home Opener at Dodger Stadium against the Tigers.
- April 15: Jackie Robinson Day vs. the Colorado Rockies.
- May 16-18: Rivalry Weekend against the Los Angeles Angels (The Freeway Series).
- July 4: Independence Day home game against the Houston Astros.
- July 15: All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta.
- September 28: Regular season finale in Seattle.
Interleague Play and the New Schedule Format
The 2025 season featured a subtle but important change in how MLB handles rivalries. Each team played six games against their "prime" interleague rival instead of the usual four. For the Dodgers, that meant six high-stakes games against the Angels.
This shift made the mid-May stretch particularly interesting. From May 16 to 18, "Rivalry Weekend" took over the league. The Dodgers hosted the Angels in a series that felt much larger than a typical interleague meeting. Beyond the Halos, the Dodgers also hosted the Athletics (in their first season in Sacramento), the White Sox, and a late-season visit from the Toronto Blue Jays in August—a series that foreshadowed the eventual World Series matchup.
Navigating the Dog Days of July
The toughest part of the Dodgers 2025 season schedule was undoubtedly the July stretch. Right before and after the All-Star break, the team hit a wall. They dropped three straight to the Astros at home around the 4th of July and then struggled through a series in Milwaukee.
There was a moment there where the Padres actually closed the gap in the NL West to just a couple of games. People started questioning if the rotation—missing a few arms due to mid-season fatigue—could hold up. But that’s where the August schedule saved them. A long homestand against the Phillies and Pirates allowed the team to reset before the September sprint.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking back at the 2025 season to understand how this team achieved "dynasty" status, there are a few things to keep in mind for future seasons.
Check the travel miles. The Dodgers traveled more than almost any other team in 2025 because of the Japan trip and several cross-country East Coast swings. When looking at future schedules, pay attention to the "return from road trip" games. In 2025, the Dodgers were surprisingly good in those games, which is a testament to their conditioning.
Monitor the "Prime Rivalry" dates. With the new six-game format for interleague rivals, these games now carry more weight for tie-breaking scenarios and momentum.
Watch the September divisional weighting. The 2025 schedule ended with a heavy dose of NL West opponents. If you're planning to attend games or bet on divisional outcomes, the final three weeks are where the season is won or lost. The Dodgers didn't clinch until the final week of September, proving that even a 93-win team has to fight until the very end.
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For anyone tracking the history of this franchise, the 2025 calendar will always be remembered as the year the Dodgers went global, broke an 80-year-old record, and proved that a championship hangover is a choice, not a guarantee.