Central STL News

Major League Baseball has announced the complete schedule for the 2026 regular season. The upcoming championship season will open on Wednesday, March 25, with a single game between the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees at Oracle Park. This will be followed by a slate of 14 games on Thursday, March 26, which marks the earliest traditional Opening Day in league history.

The 96th annual All-Star Game is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. This event commemorates the 250th anniversary of American independence and will be the first time since 1996 that the Phillies host All-Star festivities. It is also the first time Citizens Bank Park, opened in 2004, will serve as venue for the midsummer classic.

Teams are set to play familiar Interleague matchups from two seasons prior. Among these games are series such as the Boston Red Sox visiting Busch Stadium from April 10-12, and other notable contests like the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium from July 17-19 and Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park to close out the season from September 25-27.

A "Rivalry Weekend" is planned for May 15-17 featuring regional rivalries including Royals at Cardinals, Yankees at Mets, Cubs at White Sox, Rangers at Astros, Orioles at Nationals and Dodgers at Angels.

The Oakland Athletics will play their home games during the season at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento but are scheduled to host back-to-back series in Las Vegas Ballpark—home of their Triple-A affiliate—from June 8-10 against Milwaukee Brewers and June 12-14 versus Colorado Rockies.

All teams will participate in Jackie Robinson Day (April 15), Lou Gehrig Day (June 2), and Roberto Clemente Day (September 15). On these days, teams such as Dodgers, Yankees and Pirates will be playing home games. Additionally, to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of September 11 attacks, the Yankees will host a series against Mets from September 11-13.

"The 2026 championship season will begin on Wednesday, March 25, with a standalone Opening Night matchup between the Giants and Yankees at Oracle Park in San Francisco," MLB said in its release. "In honor of the 250th anniversary of American independence, the 96th annual All-Star Game will be held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 14."

"In keeping with recent history," MLB added: "Clubs will host the same prime Interleague matchups as two seasons ago." According to MLB: "The Red Sox [will play] at Busch Stadium (April 10-12)," while rivalry weekends continue to feature regional contests such as "Royals at Cardinals."

Although there are no significant changes regarding special commemorative days or scheduling traditions this year compared to previous years MLB continues its approach that includes high-profile matchups across major ballparks throughout its calendar.