MLB to open season March 24, pending lockout

Associated Press

Jul 16, 2026, 03:08 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball is set to have its earliest Opening Day next year on March 24 except for any international games -- if there is an Opening Day.

MLB said Thursday that its 2027 season will start with a single game to be televised that night by Netflix. The teams have not been chosen.

The opening matchups are Cleveland at the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis at Cincinnati, the Chicago White Sox at Detroit, Texas at Houston, Minnesota at Kansas City, Atlanta at the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Mets at Miami, the Los Angeles Angels at Milwaukee, Toronto at the New York Yankees, the Athletics at Pittsburgh, Arizona at San Diego, Colorado at San Francisco, Boston at Seattle, Baltimore at Tampa Bay and Philadelphia at Washington.

Baseball's labor contract expires Dec. 1, and a management lockout is expected. In 2022, an agreement wasn't reached until March 10, causing Opening Day to be pushed from March 31 to April 7.

Chicago's Wrigley Field will host the All-Star Game on July 13, and a rivalry weekend will follow.

The regular season is scheduled to end Sept. 26.

The Athletics are scheduled to play most of their home games in West Sacramento, California, for the third straight season before moving to a new ballpark in Las Vegas. They will have a homestand at the Triple-A ballpark in Las Vegas starting May 31 against San Diego and Cincinnati.

With no labor contract in place for 2027, no international games are scheduled.