MLB Opening Day 2026: Schedule, matchups, previews and more - ESPN

The World Baseball Classic might be over — but there's more fun just around the corner with MLB opening week.

The 2026 season kicks off with a matchup between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants on March 25, followed by 11 Opening Day games the next day. The remaining six teams will play their first games of the season on March 27.

Thirty of the best pitchers across the majors will take the mound, including eight who will be making their first Opening Day start and 15 All-Stars.

What are the most important things to know from the offseason going into the 162-game marathon that is the 2026 season? What are the most exciting matchups? What are some storylines to watch?

We have you covered on everything you need to be prepared for Opening Day, from season previews and analysis to the schedule.

(All times ET)

The pitching matchup: Max Fried vs. Logan Webb

The pitching matchup: Paul Skenes vs. Freddy Peralta

The pitching matchup: Shane Smith vs. TBD

The pitching matchup: Cade Cavalli vs. Matthew Boyd

The pitching matchup: Joe Ryan vs. Trevor Rogers

The pitching matchup: Garrett Crochet vs. Andrew Abbott

The pitching matchup: Jose Soriano vs. Hunter Brown

The pitching matchup: Tarik Skubal vs. TBD

The pitching matchup: Nathan Eovaldi vs. Cristopher Sanchez

The pitching matchup: Drew Rasmussen vs. Matthew Liberatore

The pitching matchup: Zac Gallen vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The pitching matchup: Tanner Bibee vs. Logan Gilbert

The pitching matchup: Luis Severino vs. Kevin Gausman

The pitching matchup: Kyle Freeland vs. Sandy Alcantara

The pitching matchup: Cole Ragans vs. Chris Sale

Jeff Passan's 2026 season preview

MLB Rank Top 100

Top breakout players for all 30 teams