MLB Schedule & Key Dates for 2026 Season: When Does Baseball Season Start?
Spring training is nearly here, which means baseball is about to be in full swing. There's a ton of action before Opening Day, though, so we're breaking down the 2026 MLB schedule and key dates before the campaign begins in earnest.
It's a World Baseball Classic year, so fans will be treated to high-level games before their teams even take the field. With more baseball on tap than you can handle, let's take a closer look at the MLB schedule and key dates for the 2026 campaign.
β³ When does the baseball regular season start in 2026?
Though Opening Day is on Thursday, March 26, there's one standalone game the night before. The New York Yankees will visit the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, March 25, with first pitch scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET.
The next day, 22 teams will kick off their respective seasons.
Toronto Blue Jays fans will have to wait until the Friday to watch their team for the first time since its heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series. The first day of the season that all 30 teams play is Saturday, March 28.
π MLB preseason schedule 2026: Spring training & World Baseball Classic
Grapefruit and Cactus League games officially get underway on Friday, Feb. 20 and run until Tuesday, March 24.
However, the 2026 World Baseball Classic will also be played during that time. It begins on Wednesday, March 4 and concludes on Tuesday, March 17. For a closer look at the nations involved in the World Baseball Classic (and the players expected to participate), check out our World Baseball Classic odds, which will be updated throughout the tournament.
We've also delivered some of our favorite World Baseball Classic predictions for the tournament, too.
β When is the All-Star break?
The 2026 MLB All-Star Futures Game will be played on Saturday, July 12, though all 30 teams will still be in action that day.
The All-Star break officially begins on Monday, July 13 with the Home Run Derby, and the 2026 MLB All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 14.
The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will return to regular-season action a couple of days later on Thursday, with the rest of the league emerging from the break on Friday, July 17.
π Other key dates
- April 25-26 - Mexico City Series: The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres square off in a two-game series at Estadio Alfredo Harp HelΓΊ in New Mexico.
- Aug. 3 - Trade deadline: The MLB trade deadline usually isn't quite as exciting as those in other sports, as trades happen sporadically ahead of it, but it can still provide plenty of entertainment.
- Aug. 13 - Field of Dreams: The Field of Dreams game will return for the first time since 2022, as the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies will square off in Dyersville, Iowa.
- Aug. 23 - Little League Classic: The Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves will take part in the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa.
π When does the regular season end?
The final day of the 2026 regular season is scheduled to be Sunday, Sept. 27. Now, there are sometimes exceptions if games get postponed and they include playoff implications, or in the rare instance that a 163rd game is needed, but this will in all likelihood mark the conclusion of the regular season.
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