Cubs open the 2025 season with a brutal slate of games in March and April

Looking ahead to the 2025 regular season, the Chicago Cubs will start in a unique situation playing two games against the defending champion Dodgers in Japan. Right now it looks like the Cubs will have to face Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki in that two-game set. This series comes in the middle of spring training, and it's certainly not a soft landing to start the season. Things don't exactly get easier from there.

Once the rest of Cactus League action wraps up, they will head to Arizona for a four-game set against the Diamondbacks. Since this will be the Diamondbacks' opening series, they should have their top starting pitchers lined up including new ace Corbin Burnes and former Cy Young finalist Zac Gallen. The "break" will come in a three-game series in Sacramento (yes, get used to that) against the Athletics. Then the gauntlet ramps right back up. Here is how the schedule breaks down for the rest of April:

• Three-games vs. Padres (home opener)
• Three games vs. Rangers
• Three games @ Dodgers
• Three games @ Padres
• Three games vs Diamondbacks
• Two games vs Dodgers
• Three games vs Phillies
• Three games @ Pirates

In total that is seven games against the Dodgers, six against the Padres, seven against the Diamondbacks and three against the Phillies -- 23 contests against teams with winning records last year. While the Rangers did not achieve a winning record last year, they still boast much of the talent from 2023 when they won the World Series.

The biggest thing that stands out is the games against the Dodgers, seeing as they are likely going to be the best team in baseball. Chicago plays them on three separate occasions. Arizona has always given the Cubs fits, won the pennant in 2023 and followed it up by winning 89 games last year. The Padres, regardless if they trade Dylan Cease or Michael King, will be in contention as well - and the Phillies are a sleeper pennant pick behind Los Angeles in the National League.

What is important to note though, once April is done the Cubs will not see the Dodgers, Padres, or Diamondbacks again in the regular season. They are getting their tour with the very best of the NL West over with immediately. The big thing here for the Cubs is to play competitive ball. If they even play .500 ball over the first month, then that puts them in a solid spot. There just cannot be another massive hole to dig out of early.

At the end of the day, if this Cubs team is for real, then they will have to beat teams like these to reach their goals.