We can say whatever we want about Major League Baseball and the sport’s many flaws, but a glance at the early-season schedule shows that, to some level, commissioner Rob Manfred and those around him do care about us.
Following a March 25 Opening Night showdown between the Yankees and Giants in San Francisco, the 2026 season opens in full on Thursday, March 26. Juan Soto and the Mets welcome Paul Skenes and the Pirates, the Dodgers begin their title defense against the Diamondbacks and an unexpected player is destined to do something incredible for one of the 22 teams playing that day. Who else is ready for Tyler O’Neill’s three–home run game for the Orioles?
As the calendar moves from late March into April, we’ll see several “revenge games” and series between two teams with history. Some involve playoff rematches, while others feature players facing their former teams.
For this list, we’re focusing solely on games and series beginning before May 1. By that point, it typically feels like we’re already fairly deep into the new season, almost like when you started viewing 2026 as this year rather than the new year, if that makes sense.
Get ready for the Dodgers–Blue Jays rematch
Dates: April 6–8 in Toronto
What to know: Major League Baseball revising its schedule so that all 30 teams play one another every year guarantees an annual World Series rematch, and I personally can’t wait to see Shohei Ohtani take the field in Toronto once again. Will Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays exact some revenge on the Dodgers, and could this be a preview of what’s to come in October? We haven’t seen two teams play in consecutive World Series since 1977 and 1978, when the Dodgers lost to the Yankees both times.
However, Major League Baseball might be regretting making this a Monday through Wednesday series. Had the league gotten a say, we likely would have seen this come on a weekend so that FOX and NBC could have the games in prime time. With that said, FS1 will air the Monday night game nationally, and TBS has live coverage on Tuesday night.
Braves and Phillies battle in Philadelphia, then again in Atlanta
Dates: April 17–19 in Philadelphia; April 24–26 in Atlanta
What to know: Philadelphia went 8–5 against Atlanta last year, not too surprising considering that the Braves finished 76–86 for their first losing season in nearly a decade. Unfortunately for the Braves, they’ll face a Phillies team which brought back NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber and catcher J.T. Realmuto. As things stand, the Phillies are favorites to repeat as NL East champions, but we expect the Braves to push for another division title.
The Yankees and Red Sox renew their rivalry early
Dates: April 21–23 at Fenway Park
What to know: Referencing the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry almost feels like an obligation at this point. We’re a long way removed from the public spats and the on-field brawls that defined the early 2000s. Determining who or what is to blame is another conversation entirely, but the most important thing is that this midweek set marks the first time these two teams play one another since the Yankees’ AL Wild Card Series victory last fall.
It’s also worth noting that after their series in Boston, the Yankees head to Texas for a three–game clash with the Astros. Although we’re already four years removed from the most recent Yankees–Astros playoff showdown, there’s still plenty of bad blood between these two fan bases. A cheating scandal, two thrilling American League Championship Series battles and a third that the Astros handled with ease will do that to a rivalry.
New faces in old places
Edwin Diaz faces the Mets (April 13-15)
If the Mets don’t face longtime closer Edwin Díaz during this three-game set, then things either went incredibly well or incredibly poorly. Díaz, whose 144 saves in a Mets uniform rank third in team history, became the latest established All-Star to join the Dodgers this winter, and he wasn’t alone.
Kyle Tucker faces the Cubs (April 24-26)
Tucker stunned the baseball world when, rather than stick around in Chicago or join a team like the Yankees or Blue Jays, he instead signed a four–year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers. It’s hard to blame him, considering that L.A. gave him a $64 million signing bonus, $30 million in deferred payments and multiple opt–out clauses. Tucker may have only spent a year in Chicago, but we expect both sides to be motivated.
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