MLB News and Updates: Carlos Rodon shines, Tokyo Series sets records, Mariners launch blackout-free streaming & more

With Major League Baseball (MLB) on deck for the 2025 season, this week has been doozy — from outstanding spring training performances to flood-inducing broadcasting milestones. So with that in mind, here’s a full rundown of the biggest MLB news and stories from this week.
Carlos Rodon closed out his Spring Training on a high note for the New York Yankees, putting together an impressive outing against the Detroit Tigers. Carlos Rodon threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings and 77 pitches in a 4-0 win. After a quiet preseason consisting of three Grapefruit League starts and some live batting practices, Rodón was confident he was ready for the Opening Day assignment against the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees’ rotation has struggled, most significantly after Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery, and other top pitchers have been injured. Rodon's polished repertoire of pitches, highlighted by an elite changeup and two-seam fastball, is the key to team success this season.
The inaugural game of the Tokyo Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs fans captivated in-game audiences in Japan, too, averaging more than 25 million viewers. This was a record for an MLB game in Japan, beating all the previous records. It beats the previous year's Seoul Series viewership record of 18.7 million viewers.

On Opening Day there was even a historic all-Japanese pitching matchup, with the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto squaring off against the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga. The Dodgers won that game, 4-1. The next game, featuring a home run from Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels and the debut of Roki Sasaki with the Los Angeles Dodgers, drew more than 23 million viewers in Japan.
The games had an average of 590,000 viewers in the United States. Merchandise sales for the series climbed with a 320% increase since the previous year’s London games, and Ohtani’s Dodgers jersey topped the sales list.
In a groundbreaking move, the Seattle Mariners, together with Root Sports, introduced a new in-market, blackout-free streaming service for just $19.99 a month. This service makes it possible for Mariners fans to watch Mariners games — without subscribing to a traditional cable or satellite TV.

Available through a Root Sports streaming app, the service can be accessed on web browsers, smart TVs, and mobile devices, and apps are available on platforms including iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV, with plans to launch on Roku soon.
The initiative is baseball further evolving its approach to broadcasting, part of the league's slow march towards other teams providing direct-to-streaming as the cable model continues to decline. It’s a cheaper option for fans than the cable packages that once cost a fortune.
The Oakland Athletics dominated their spring training opponents, the Kansas City Royals, in a 10-1 blowout win. Jacob Wilson, a rookie, had three hits, and the pitcher Luis Severino went 5 1/3 innings, giving up one run.
The lineup continued its offensive assault today with home runs by Brent Rooker and JJ Bleday. In other significant performances, Atlanta Braves’ Chris Sale struck out five in four scoreless innings in a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeremy Peña's three-hit game, which included a home run, lifted the Houston Astros past the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3.

As the 2025 MLB season approaches, teams and fans alike are abuzz with anticipation and are excited for the season to start. The past week's events—from stellar individual performances to significant broadcasting innovations—set the stage for an exciting year in baseball.
Also Read: "It's different": Dodgers 2B Tommy Edman reflects on Dodgers presence as team sweeps Tokyo Series games against Cubs