Takashi Murakami Teams Up With the MLB to Celebrate The Dodgers and Cubs Tokyo Series

MLB fans can finally celebrate the fact that baseball is back, as Spring Training is in full swing, and the start of the season is only weeks away. Ahead of the stateside regular season games beginning at the end of March, the Dodgers and Cubs will face off in two regular season games as part of the Tokyo Series on March 18 and 19. To celebrate the two storied franchises, Takashi Murakami has teamed up with MLB, Nike, Complex, and more to launch a capsule of clothing, accessories, Topps trading cards, and baseball equipment.

Murakami’s signature style, including his floral motif and anime-inspired characters, is present across an array of different products, including t-shirts, hoodies, MLB jerseys, hats, and more. In addition to the team jerseys and apparel, multiple players, including Dodgers players Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, and Cubs players Shota Imanaga, Seiya Suzuki, and Dansby Swanson, will have their jerseys altered by the Japanese pop artist.

Fans of Takashi’s footwear brand, Ohana Hatake, will be pleased to hear that two limited-edition slides have been made for this collection. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will take over the Surippa Ohana silhouette, each infused with logos for the teams and Murakami’s flower motif.

Topps is teaming up with MLB and Murakami for a special Tokyo Series box set alongside wearable apparel, footwear, and accessories. The 25-card set features artwork from the Japanese artist celebrating multiple Cubs and Dodgers players. Parallels and autograph cards will be scattered across the sets, with a one-of-one dual autograph card of Murakami and Shohei Ohtani being the rarest. Each set will come with at least one serial-numbered base card parallel.

"I think this new collection builds upon the historical friendship between Japan and the United States,” said Takashi Murakami. “I feel lucky to be able to work alongside Complex, MLB and highlight Shohei Ohtani, an outstanding athlete who has emerged from Japan and made a name for himself on the global stage. This is something I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be a part of."

The Takashi Murakami x MLB Tokyo Series Collection will release on March 7, 2025, through Complex, Fanatics, and MLB online. Select products will be offered at the MLB Tokyo Series games, Dodger Stadium, Wrigley Field, and MLB Flagship Store in NYC. Check below for a look at some of the items offered, and download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com