MLB 2026 Opening Day: Dodgers Defend Title, Yankees-Giants Kick Off Season

The 2026 Major League Baseball season will open on Wednesday, March 25, with a game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, marking an unusual departure from the tradition of the defending World Series champions hosting the opening game. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who secured back-to-back World Series titles in 2024 and 2025, will not be in action on Opening Day.

Several pitchers with Cy Young Award credentials are slated to start for their teams on Opening Day, including Dominican pitcher Sandy Alcántara (Miami Marlins), Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers, a two-time winner of the award), Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates), and Chris Sale (Atlanta Braves). Garrett Crochet (Boston Red Sox) and fellow Dominican Cristopher Sánchez (Philadelphia Phillies) are also scheduled to take the mound.

According to baseball expert Sarah Langs, Garrett Crochet will turn into the first pitcher since 1886 to create three consecutive Opening Day starts in his first three seasons as a starting pitcher. He will also be the fourth pitcher to open a season for the Boston Red Sox in each of his first two campaigns, joining Pedro Martínez, Ferguson Jenkins, and Howard Ehmke.

Logan Webb will be making his fifth consecutive Opening Day start for the San Francisco Giants, trailing only Juan Marichal (six) for the most consecutive Opening Day starts in franchise history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Matthew Boyd will be the third consecutive left-handed starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs on Opening Day, following Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga in 2024 and 2025.

Zac Gallen will become the first Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher with four consecutive Opening Day starts since Brandon Webb (2006-09). Nathan Eovaldi will start for the Texas Rangers against Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies, while Paul Skenes is set to pitch for the Pittsburgh Pirates against Freddy Peralta of the New York Mets. The Arizona Diamondbacks will send Zac Gallen to the mound against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The opening day schedule includes a matchup between Max Fried of the New York Yankees and Logan Webb of the San Francisco Giants. Other notable pitching matchups include Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins against Trevor Rogers of the Baltimore Orioles, and Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers against Shane Smith of the Chicago White Sox.

A complete list of announced Opening Day starters is as follows: