Opening Day 2026: The Full Thursday Slate

Thursday, March 26, 2026 is Opening Day for 22 of 30 teams (11 games) (schedule overview). Starts run afternoon through late night so national games and local feeds are not all on top of each other.

Headline national window

Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks is 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Skubal and the Tigers at the Padres is another game people will talk about. Check MLB.com the morning of for weather, delays, or starter swaps.

West games feel late if you live east of the Mississippi. They are still prime time out West. Plan social or second-screen posts with time zones in mind.

Thursday first games (Eastern times from the league list)

The league lists each team's first game in Eastern time. Examples for Thursday, March 26:

Pirates at Mets (1:15 p.m. ET)

White Sox at Brewers (2:10 p.m. ET)

Nationals at Cubs (2:20 p.m. ET)

Twins at Orioles (3:05 p.m. ET)

Red Sox at Reds (4:10 p.m. ET)

Angels at Astros (4:10 p.m. ET)

Rangers at Phillies (4:15 p.m. ET)

Rays at Cardinals (4:15 p.m. ET)

Tigers at Padres (7:10 p.m. ET)

Guardians at Mariners (10:10 p.m. ET)

Diamondbacks at Dodgers (8:30 p.m. ET)

Use the schedule explainer for gameday links and any late updates.

For a single scroll while you drink coffee, try MLB's Opening Day starters tracker. Pair it with our matchup table when you want TV facts and AthX context in one place.

Six clubs wait until Friday

Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Rockies, and Royals do not open Thursday. Their first games are Friday, March 27. Do not mix up Thursday storylines with Friday first pitches for those clubs.

Starters and your research workflow

Our pitching matchup table links AthX profiles where we have them. It is a living page. TBD slots often fill in the last 48 hours of camp. Trades and IL news can still move leverage after lineups post.

How to read Thursday without drowning

Eleven games means eleven broadcast booths and a lot of social noise. Focus on who starts, who is on the IL, and who made the 26-man. Spring stats are fun; April games feed fantasy points and trading stories for months.

Deep rotations? Watch piggyback plans and early innings caps. Rebuilding clubs? Watch young arms and bench bats who could get run if a vet starts slow. You do not need a hot take on every game. Pick two or three staffs you care about and track them in our matchup post.

AthX angle

Playing time gets real this week. Dynamic pricing follows what happens on the field. Use Thursday to lock in roles (rotation order, closer, platoon), not just spring stat lines.