March 23, 2026 is the last Monday before the 2026 regular season starts. Not every team plays on the same day. The season opens with Opening Night on Wednesday, March 25. Thursday brings a big slate. Friday adds six more clubs. Saturday, March 28 is the first day all 30 teams are scheduled. If you care about who plays, who is hurt, and first-week innings, this is the week lineups get real.
How the schedule spreads out
The season starts March 25 when the Giants host the Yankees at Oracle Park on Netflix (preview). First pitch is 8:05 p.m. ET. Netflix runs a pregame show at 7 p.m. ET.
Thursday, March 26, 22 teams play (11 games) (schedule overview). One headline game: Tarik Skubal and the Tigers at the Padres. Another: Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Friday, March 27, six teams play their first game: Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Rockies, and Royals. Travel and bullpen rest look different when half the league has already played a day or two.
Why the last few days still matter
Teams can still name starters, place players on the IL, and sort bullpen roles. Showcase starters often get locked in before the back of the rotation. A guy out through April still changes who gets saves and at-bats even if he stays on the 40-man.
Opening Night 2026 is also the first regular-season game with the ABS challenge system (how it works). We explain it in our ABS overview. Bottom line for trading: rules and roles still drive innings and plate appearances over the year.
What to lock in before you watch
Keep your facts on rails
Beat writers and team sites will move fast this week. For transactions and IL placements, use MLB.com transactions as the ledger when you need to verify a move before you trade on narrative alone. A surprise option or last cut can change playing time faster than a spring stat line.
If you are new to AthX, remember that eligibility and tradeability can differ from raw projections. When in doubt, use the player page and marketplace for the live picture, not a single headline.
AthX angle
Dynamic pricing cares about real games and playing time, not spring stat lines. Opening Week is when the story meets the field. Use our pitching matchups page while teams confirm names, then browse the marketplace to see how traders price those roles.
More in this Opening Week series
*Sources: MLB.com – When is Opening Day 2026?; MLB.com – Yankees–Giants Opening Night on Netflix; MLB.com – ABS Challenge System. Fact-checked March 23, 2026.*
Ready to trade Opening Day Countdown: What Matters With Three Days to Go (2026)?
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