When is Opening Day 2025? How MLB has taken over late March the last 10 years

Baseball fans, the wait is almost over.

In just 36 days, stadiums will be packed, jerseys will be dusted off, and millions of fans will be cheering — whether from the stands, sports bars, or their living rooms. The 2025 MLB season is right around the corner, first with an overseas showdown and then with a 30-team extravaganza on Opening Day. Here's everything to know.

When Is MLB Opening Day 2025?

Technically, the 2025 season gets started on March 18. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will kick the year off with two games in Tokyo, Japan, marking the return of the Tokyo Opening Series at the legendary Tokyo Dome. Dates and times for the series are below.

• Tuesday, March 18: 7:10 p.m. ET / 5:10 a.m. CT / 3:10 a.m. PT
• Wednesday, March 19: 7:10 p.m. ET / 5:10 a.m. CT / 3:10 a.m. PT

This highly anticipated series will spotlight Japanese superstars on both sides, with the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki facing off against the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki. While Yamamoto is expected to start Game 1, Ohtani will still be in the lineup as the designated hitter. The Cubs have already announced Imanaga as their Opening Day starter, setting the stage for a thrilling Japanese pitching duel in front of their home fans.

Traditional Opening Day: March 28

For the rest of the league, Opening Day falls on Thursday, March 28, with 28 of 30 teams in action.

• First pitch: Milwaukee Brewers vs. New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium (3:05 p.m. ET / 2:05 p.m. CT)
• Prime time: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Detroit Tigers at Dodger Stadium (7:10 p.m. ET / 4:10 p.m. PT)

Adding to the excitement, legendary broadcaster Joe Buck will make a one-time return to MLB play-by-play, calling the first game of ESPN's Opening Day doubleheader between the Brewers and Yankees in the Bronx. Buck, who began calling MLB games in 1996, stepped away from baseball in 2022 when he joined ESPN’s Monday Night Football alongside Troy Aikman.

MLB Opening Day Through the Years

Opening Day has always been a special moment in baseball, but its date has varied throughout history. While it typically falls between late March and early April, Major League Baseball schedules it to ensure most of the season is played in warm weather.

However, there have been exceptions. In 2020, the season was drastically shortened to 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Opening Day was pushed to July 24, with the New York Yankees facing the Washington Nationals in an unprecedented summer start.