When Is MLB Opening Day 2026? Full Schedule, Start Time, Teams, TV and Streaming

Larry Mimosa March 19, 2026 | 17:58

MLB Opening Day 2026 starts March 26, with Opening Night on March 25 featuring Yankees vs. Giants. Get the full schedule, start times, teams, TV channels and streaming details.

MLB Opening Day 2026

Major League Baseball’s 2026 season begins with a standalone Opening Night game on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, when the New York Yankees visit the San Francisco Giants at 8:05 p.m. ET at Oracle Park. MLB’s traditional Opening Day follows on Thursday, March 26, 2026, with 11 games on the schedule, before the remaining clubs begin their seasons on Friday, March 27.

That distinction matters. In 2026, MLB is using a two-step launch: one nationally spotlighted opener on Wednesday night, then the broader league-wide rollout on Thursday. Officially, MLB says the 2026 championship season opens March 25, while the traditional Opening Day slate is March 26, which MLB called the earliest traditional Opening Day in league history, excluding special season openers and international openers.

MLB remains a 30-team league, and the 2026 regular season runs through Sunday, September 27.

MLB Opening Night 2026: Date, Time, Teams

The first regular-season game of 2026 is:

New York Yankees at San Francisco Giants
Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET / 5:05 p.m. PT
Venue: Oracle Park, San Francisco
How to watch: Netflix exclusive

Netflix says its pregame coverage starts at 7:00 p.m. ET, one hour before first pitch.

When Is MLB Opening Day 2026?

The traditional, full-scale MLB Opening Day is Thursday, March 26, 2026. MLB’s official game-times release lists 11 games that day, while six more clubs make their 2026 debuts on March 27.

That means all 30 teams are in action by the end of Friday, March 27:

2 teams on March 25
22 teams on March 26
6 teams making their first appearances on March 27

Full MLB Opening Day 2026 Schedule

Here is the official Thursday, March 26, 2026 schedule in Eastern Time:

• Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Mets — 1:15 p.m. ET
• Chicago White Sox at Milwaukee Brewers — 2:10 p.m. ET
• Washington Nationals at Chicago Cubs — 2:20 p.m. ET
• Minnesota Twins at Baltimore Orioles — 3:05 p.m. ET
• Boston Red Sox at Cincinnati Reds — 4:10 p.m. ET
• Los Angeles Angels at Houston Astros — 4:10 p.m. ET
• Detroit Tigers at San Diego Padres — 4:10 p.m. ET
• Tampa Bay Rays at St. Louis Cardinals — 4:15 p.m. ET
• Texas Rangers at Philadelphia Phillies — 4:15 p.m. ET
• Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers — 8:30 p.m. ET
• Cleveland Guardians at Seattle Mariners — 10:10 p.m. ET

Which Teams Start Their Seasons on Friday, March 27?

Six clubs do not open on Thursday. Their first games come on Friday, March 27, 2026:

• Athletics at Toronto Blue Jays — 7:07 p.m. ET
• Colorado Rockies at Miami Marlins — 7:10 p.m. ET
• Kansas City Royals at Atlanta Braves — 7:15 p.m. ET

Those are the three matchups that bring the remaining six teams into the season. MLB’s official schedule page also shows Yankees-Giants continuing on March 27, alongside other games already underway from Opening Day.

National TV and Streaming: How to Watch MLB Opening Day 2026

The biggest national distribution points for the opening of the 2026 season are already clear.

The standalone Yankees-Giants opener on March 25 streams exclusively on Netflix.

On March 26, MLB’s official game-times release says NBC and Peacock are part of the Opening Day presentation, highlighted by Pirates at Mets at 1:15 p.m. ET and Diamondbacks at Dodgers at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Beyond Opening Day, MLB announced new national media-rights agreements running from 2026 through 2028 with ESPN, NBCUniversal, and Netflix. MLB said ESPN will acquire rights to MLB.TV and a midweek package, while NBCUniversal will carry Sunday Night Baseball, Sunday Leadoff, and the entire Wild Card round.

For fans, the practical takeaway is simple: the 2026 MLB season opens across a broader mix of platforms than before, including Netflix, NBC, Peacock, and MLB’s broader streaming ecosystem through MLB.TV and ESPN’s new rights arrangement.

Why MLB Opening Day 2026 Feels Different

Opening Day is always one of baseball’s most symbolic calendar dates, but 2026 has a slightly different shape. Instead of launching with a packed Thursday slate alone, MLB is creating a marquee Wednesday night opener with two historic franchises, then following with the traditional Opening Day card the next afternoon and evening.

It is also the first season under MLB’s new media structure with Netflix carrying the season-opening showcase and NBC returning to regular MLB coverage.

Key 2026 MLB Dates After Opening Day

After the season opens in March, several major dates are already on MLB’s official calendar. The 96th All-Star Game is set for July 14, 2026, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and the regular season ends on September 27, 2026.

MLB also confirmed the return of its Mexico City Series on April 25-26, 2026, featuring the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres.

Final Answer: When Is MLB Opening Day 2026?

The 2026 MLB season begins on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, with Yankees vs. Giants on Opening Night at 8:05 p.m. ET. The traditional MLB Opening Day is Thursday, March 26, 2026, when 11 games are scheduled. The final six teams begin play on Friday, March 27.

Larry Mimosa

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