The 2026 MLB season is kicking off. However, the actual start of the season is not one single date.
It spans across three days, and the 2026 MLB season start is scheduled for March 25-27.
All 30 teams are in action together for the first time on March 28.
Those looking to buy MLB tickets should know that not every team plays every day, and not every Opening Day game is a home opener.
If you want to learn more about key dates, the full schedule, and the ABS Challenge system, keep reading our guide below.
Key Dates and Quick Facts for MLB 2026 Season Start
The start of baseball season includes events spanning three days, culminating on March 28 with the first full slate day where all 30 teams will play on the same day.
Here’s a table showing the timeline in full.
| DATE | EVENT | DETAILS |
| March 25, 2026 (Wed) | Opening Night | Yankees at Giants, Oracle Park, San Francisco, 8:05 p.m. ET (Netflix) |
| March 26, 2026 (Thu) | Opening Day | 11 games played between 22 teams, the earliest traditional Opening Day in MLB history |
| March 27, 2026 (Fri) | Six remaining openers | Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Rockies, Royals |
| March 28, 2026 (Sat) | First full slate | All 30 teams in action for the first time in 2026 |
This year, the Opening Day is set for the earliest day in history of MLB. The date was picked out in August 2025.
Opening Night vs. Opening Day vs. Home Openers
Let’s clarify a few things first. There are three events for which you can purchase MLB tickets. The Opening Night is a single game between the Yankees and the Giants. There’s also the Opening Day, which is when most of the home openers happen (but not all).
Opening Night — March 25
The standalone opener officially starting the season is the Yankees vs the Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The first pitch is at 8:05 p.m. ET.
If you are unable to attend, don’t worry. It airs exclusively on Netflix, as the first live MLB regular-season game broadcast on that platform.
Max Fried starts for New York against Logan Webb for San Francisco. The ABS Challenge System (covered in detail below) also makes its major league debut in this game. That’s why the game has many eyes on it.
Essentially, it’s one game that has all the national attention. Obviously, the opener tickets come with premium pricing, as it’s the hardest event to get tickets for.
Opening Day — March 26
A day after Opening Night is the Opening Day. This is the traditional league-wide first day of the season. And for this day, a total of 11 games will be played. Twenty-two teams will participate in games running from 1:15 p.m. ET to 10:10 p.m. ET.
Again, for those that could not get tickets, the NBC/Peacock will broadcast games during the day: Paul Skenes and the Pirates at Citi Field in the early afternoon, followed by the Dodgers hosting the Diamondbacks at 8:30 p.m. ET in primetime. These are some of the most popular games of the day, but you can find the entire schedule down below.
2026 Home Openers
A team’s Opening Day game is not always its home opener. Some teams begin the season on the road and return home one or two days later. The six teams opening on March 27 — Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Rockies, and Royals — play their home openers that day.
For buyers, searching by team and home opener typically surfaces more relevant options than searching “Opening Day” alone. Opening Day away games carry no premium for the visiting team’s market — demand is local to the host city.
MLB Opening Day 2026 Schedule
Here’s the full rundown of the games that will be played on MLB 2026 Opening Dat.
Games in bold are games with a confirmed national TV broadcast. However, bear in mind that most games carry regional broadcast only.
| MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | VENUE |
| Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Mets | 1:15 p.m. ET | Citi Field, New York |
| Chicago White Sox vs Milwaukee Brewers | 2:10 p.m. ET | American Family Field, Milwaukee |
| Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs | 2:20 p.m. ET | Wrigley Field, Chicago |
| Minnesota Twins vs Baltimore Orioles | 3:05 p.m. ET | Oriole Park, Baltimore |
| Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros | 4:10 p.m. ET | Daikin Park, Houston |
| Boston Red Sox vs Cincinnati Reds | 4:10 p.m. ET | Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati |
| Detroit Tigers vs San Diego Padres | 4:10 p.m. ET | Petco Park, San Diego |
| Texas Rangers vs Philadelphia Phillies | 4:15 p.m. ET | Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia |
| Tampa Bay Rays vs St. Louis Cardinals | 4:15 p.m. ET | Busch Stadium, St. Louis |
| Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers | 8:30 p.m. ET | Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles |
| Cleveland Guardians vs Seattle Mariners | 10:10 p.m. ET | T-Mobile Park, Seattle |
Out of all the games played that day, The Mets and the Dodgers home games are the most sough-after. The final game of the day is the Mariners-Guardians game in Seattle. It runs past midnight, but it’s still going to be difficult to get tickets because it’s a home opener for the Seattle team.
March 27 Openers
A day later, the remaining six teams get their home openers. These games are viewed sort of as an Opening Day for those clubs.
| MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | VENUE |
| Oakland Athletics vs. Toronto Blue Jays | 7:07 p.m. ET | Rogers Centre, Toronto |
| New York Giants vs. San Francisco Giants | 4:35 p.m. ET | Oracle Park, San Francisco |
| Colorado Rockies vs. Miami Marlins | 7:10 p.m. ET | loanDepot park, Miami |
| Kansas City Royals vs. Atlanta Braves | 7:15 p.m. ET | Truist Park, Atlanta |
| Los Angeles Angels vs. Houston Astros | 8:15 p.m. ET | Daikin Park, Houston |
| Detroit Tigers vs. San Diego Padres | 9:40 p.m. ET | Petco Park, San Diego |
| Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers | 10:10 p.m. ET | Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles |
The next day – Saturday, March 28 – Is the first date on the 2026 schedule where all 30 teams play a game.
Therefore, the 2026 MLB season runs from March 25 until late September. In total, every team plays a total of 162 games per season.
Opening Day Starting Pitchers
Opening Day starters reflect each team’s top option.
Across the full opening slate, which is on March 28, 30 pitchers take the mound, including eight of them who are making their first career Opening Day start and 15 All-Stars.
The pitching matchup quality on March 25 and 26 is higher than a typical early-season slate. Here are some of the key pitchers to keep an eye on.
| PITCHER | TEAM | OPP. | DATE / VENUE | NOTE |
| Max Fried | New York Yankees | vs. Giants | Mar 25 — Oracle Park | Opening Night; ABS system debuts |
| Logan Webb | San Francisco Giants | vs. Yankees | Mar 25 — Oracle Park | Opening Night |
| Paul Skenes | Pittsburgh Pirates | vs. Mets | Mar 26 — Citi Field | Reigning NL Cy Young winner; 1.96 career ERA through 55 starts |
| Tyler Glasnow | Los Angeles Dodgers | vs. D-backs | Mar 26 — Dodger Stadium | Primetime NBC/Peacock; defending champs raise 2025 WS banner |
| Zac Gallen | Arizona Diamondbacks | vs. Dodgers | Mar 26 — Dodger Stadium | Primetime NBC/Peacock |
| Drew Rasmussen | Tampa Bay Rays | vs. Cardinals | Mar 26 — Busch Stadium | First career Opening Day start; 2.76 ERA in 2025, All-Star |
| Cole Ragans | Kansas City Royals | vs. Braves | Mar 27 — Truist Park | Third straight Opening Day start for KC |
| Matthew Liberatore | St. Louis Cardinals | vs. Rays | Mar 26 — Busch Stadium | First Cardinals left-handed OD starter since Donovan Osborne in 1999 |
| Cade Cavalli | Washington Nationals | vs. Cubs | Mar 26 — Wrigley Field | Return from Tommy John surgery; 4.25 ERA in 10 second-half starts in 2025 |
Paul Skenes vs. the Mets is the highest-profile daytime game on Opening Day that you can watch.
Matthew Liberatore becomes the first Cardinals left-handed Opening Day starter since Donovan Osborne in 1999. He faces the Rays, which is the team that originally drafted him before the trade that brought him to St. Louis.
Cole Ragans is making his third consecutive Opening Day start for Kansas City, and he’s even the first Royals pitcher to do that since Gil Meche. It already looks very promising, this season is definitely going to be great.
Best Opening Day Games to Watch
Three games stand out when it comes to popularity and buzz that they are creating. And as expected, the tickets for those games soar, so they are among the most challenging ones to get tickets that are reasonably priced.
- Yankees vs. Giants (Opening Night, March 25) The kickstart game that also has a Netflix exclusive stream. It’s also played at a premium stadium between two historic franchises
- Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks (March 26, 8:30 p.m. ET) Last season’s defending champions are playing during the NBC/Peacock primetime, and there’s the World Series banner ceremony
- Pirates vs. Mets (March 26, 1:15 p.m. ET) Another NBC/Peacock daytime prime stream, and there’s Paul Skenes vs. Juan Soto to enjoy
ABS Challenge System — What Changes in 2026
The Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System is the most significant rule change since the pitch clock arrived in 2023.
Human umpires still call every pitch in real time. The ABS system allows players to contest those calls using Hawk-Eye camera data, which is the same ball-tracking technology used in tennis for in/out challenges. It’s going to significantly improve the precision of the game and undoubtedly be used for close-call situations. The system will debut in a major league for the first time during Opening Night on March 25.
How It Works
- Who can use the challenge: Only the batter, pitcher, or catcher. Managers cannot ask for a challenge.
- How to challenge: The player taps their helmet or cap within approximately two seconds of the umpire’s call. The player cannot use any kind of instruction from the dugout.
- Challenges per team: Each team starts the game with two challenges. A successful challenge is kept, but an unsuccessful one is deducted.
- Extra innings: Teams carry one unused challenge into the 10th inning and receive one additional challenge per extra inning played.
- Timing: If a play follows the pitch (e.g., a runner attempts to steal), the challenge can still be made at the immediate conclusion of the play.
2026 Exceptions
Although the ABS system is going to be included across the league, three games won’t get to use it due to infrastructure limitations at non-MLB venues. Those three games are:
- Mexico City Series: Diamondbacks vs. Padres, April 25-26 (Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium)
- Field of Dreams Game: Twins vs. Phillies, August 13 (Dyersville, Iowa)
- Little League Classic: Brewers vs. Braves, August 23 (Williamsport, Pennsylvania)
All games during MLB Opening Day will have ABS.
Other Rules Changes in 2026
Two additional rules are going to be introduced at the start of the new season, besides ABS. Those are:
- Base coach box enforcement
- Unsportsmanlike contact rule
The base coach box rule is going to close the gap that allowed coaches to read pitch grips from extended positions down the line.
How to Buy MLB Opening Day 2026 Tickets
The official method is SeatGeek. Actually, MLB’s official ticketing partner is SeatGeek. Tickets for all 30 teams’ home openers are available through each team’s page on MLB.com, which will take you to the ticketing partner.
Please keep in mind that tickets are mobile-only at most venues. Yo can use your phone as the entry credential.
You can also purchase MLB tickets via TicketCenter. Just visit our large ticket database, select a game from the schedule (search by team or stadium) and select them from the list of available ones. Keep in mind that tickets are not coming directly from us – we just connect you to verified sellers and that’s it.
Practical Tips
Are you a first-time buyer? Here are some practical tips that might help you get tickets and enjoy the games more easily.
- Games that are considered high-demand on Opening Day do not drop in price as the date gets closer. They can only go higher. Treat current prices as the floor for games involving the Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, Cubs, and Red Sox.
- Compare sections by value score, not just row numbers. Having a seat in a lower-demand section that’s one level up can offer better sightlines at 40% less cost than a comparable ground-level seat.
- For groups of four or more, team-direct group ticket packages are often better for ticket pricing and may even include parking.
- Check each ballpark’s policies before arrival to the game, such as bag size limits, prohibited items, or some other kind of procedural step.
You can also access all necessary info using the MLB app.
Where to Watch: 2026 MLB Broadcast and Streaming Guide
Those who prefer to stay at home and enjoy the games on the screen will have a full schedule too.
The 2026 broadcast landscape includes 8 different platforms sharing national rights across the season.
NBC is going to return to MLB after a 25-year hiatus. They will be covering the Sunday Night Baseball along with the Opening Day coverage.
Here are the details about coverage of MLB 2026 season.
| PLATFORM | COVERAGE |
| Netflix | Opening Night only. Yankees at Giants, March 25 (first live MLB game ever on Netflix) |
| NBC / Peacock | Opening Day doubleheader (Pirates-Mets 1:15 p.m.; Dodgers-D-backs 8:30 p.m.); Sunday Night Baseball all season; Wild Card round exclusively |
| Peacock | Exclusive Sunday Night Baseball and Sunday Leadoff games not on NBC linear; select weeknight games |
| Apple TV+ | Friday Night Baseball: two games weekly throughout the regular season |
| ESPN / ABC | 30 exclusive games; Jackie Robinson Day, Memorial Day, second-half opener (July 16) |
| Fox / FS1 | Saturday regional Baseball Night in America; All-Star Game (July 14 on Fox); Thursday nights (September 17). Note: Fox dark June 27 and July 11 due to FIFA World Cup |
| TBS | Tuesday games. First-half schedule March 31 to June 30; second-half schedule announced in-season |
| MLB.TV | Out-of-market streaming subscription; local blackout rules apply |
Nine clubs (Cardinals, Cubs, Guardians, Marlins, Padres, Rangers, Reds, Rays, and Tigers), terminated contracts with FanDuel Sports Network regional channels in January 2026.
That’s why these teams were moved to MLB Local Media or other, alternative local arrangements. For more accurate info, check the official site for each team.
FAQ: MLB Opening Day 2026
When is MLB Opening Day in 2026?
Thursday, March 26, 2026, which also happens to be the earliest traditional Opening Day in MLB history. Opening Night is the day before, March 25, with the Yankees vs. Giants at Oracle Park (8:05 p.m. ET, Netflix).
What is the first game of the 2026 season?
The first game of the season is Yankees vs.Giants on Wednesday, March 25, at Oracle Park in San Francisco. First pitch is 8:05 p.m. ET. The game airs exclusively on Netflix.
When do all 30 teams play for the first time?
They all get to play on the same day on Saturday, March 28, 2026. It’s the first full 15-game slate of the season.
Is Opening Day the same as a team’s home opener?
Not always. Several teams open on the road on March 26 and play their home opener later. The six teams not on the March 26 slate (Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Rockies, Royals) play their home openers on March 27.
What is the ABS Challenge System?
The Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System allows batters, pitchers, and catchers to contest the home plate umpire’s ball or strike call using Hawk-Eye camera tracking. Each team gets two challenges per game. A successful challenge is retained; an unsuccessful one is deducted. Managers cannot challenge, just players (and not all).
How much do Opening Day tickets cost in 2026?
Prices range from around $18 get-in for low-demand games to $2,213 for high-end seats at Opening Night (Yankees at Giants). Please bear in mind that ticket prices vary and depend on a lot of factors. Plus, as the games approach, the ticket prices increase. Make sure to get your tickets on time.
Where can I buy MLB Opening Day 2026 tickets?
Official channels: each team’s MLB.com page (routes through SeatGeek) or TicketCenter.
Are MLB Opening Day tickets refndable?
Through official platforms, refunds are issued only if a game is canceled and not rescheduled. So that depends. Resale policies vary.