The All-Star Game will be in Philadelphia, a soccer-induced doubleheader is scheduled for Seattle, and if the Athletics actually make the playoffs, there could be postseason games in West Sacramento.
But first, the earliest Opening Day in history.
Major League Baseball on Tuesday announced its 2026 schedule, which technically opens on March 25 -- New York Yankees at San Francisco Giants -- before a 14-game traditional Opening Day on Thursday, March 26, the earliest ever Opening Day not counting international one-offs and other special events. The final regular season games are scheduled for Sept. 27.
Among the quirks of next year's 2,430-game schedule are several accommodations for next year's FIFA World Cup, being played throughout North America in June and July. The Red Sox and Mariners will play a rare scheduled doubleheader on June 20 in deference to a World Cup match being played June 19 in Seattle. The Rangers, Phillies and Royals also have unusual off days -- a handful of weekend dates, mostly -- because of World Cup matches being played in their cities.
Otherwise, the season schedule is more or less as usual -- a bunch of three- and four-game series across six months of baseball -- with a handful of notable matchups sprinkled throughout.
There's still no official word on where the Tampa Bay Rays will play next season, but the expectation has been that they will return to Tropicana Field after spending this season at nearby Steinbrenner Field because of hurricane damage at The Trop. The Rays' first home game next season is April 6 against the Cubs.
The Athletics will return to their temporary home in West Sacramento -- the league clarified that they will play postseason games there if necessary -- but the A's are going to play home games in Las Vegas for a week. June 8-14 the A's will host the Brewers and then the Rockies at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators (the A's aren't scheduled to move to Las Vegas full-time until 2028).
The 96th All-Star Game will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 14. The Mid-Summer Classic's return to the City of Brotherly Love comes 50 years after Veterans Stadium hosted the All-Star Game in 1976 for the country's bicentennial.
The Mets and Yankees will play at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 11 to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The Mets and Yankees last played on Sept. 11 in 2021 for the 20th anniversary.
Other holiday and celebration matchups have the Mets at the Dodgers for Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, the Tigers at the Red Sox for Patriots Day on April 20, the Guardians at the Yankees for Lou Gehrig Day on June 2, the Mets at the Blue Jays for Canada Day on July 1, and the Brewers at the Pirates for Roberto Clemente Day on Sept. 15.
The league has once again scheduled Rivalry Weekend to highlight various regional rivalries -- Mets vs. Yankees, Cardinals vs. Royals, Dodgers vs. Angels, etc. -- the weekend of May 15-17. The July 4 schedule also has the potential for baseball fireworks with the Padres at the Dodgers, the Cubs at the Cardinals, and the Mets at the Braves.
It's too early to know who the defending champs will be, but it's worth noting that the Dodgers open next season at home against the Diamondbacks, the Brewers will be at home against the White Sox, the Phillies will be at home against the Rangers, the Blue Jays will be at home against the Rays, and the Tigers will be on the road against the Padres. The Dodgers and Yankees will open the second half with a potentially fascinating matchup out of the break.
The Cubs will leave Wrigley Field to play the Red Sox at Fenway Park the last weekend of next season. Other potentially intriguing end-of-the-season matchups: Orioles at Yankees, Dodgers at Giants and Brewers at Cardinals.