When is Opening Day for Major League Baseball teams in the 2025 season?
There are three different answers to that question this year: Tuesday, March 18, Thursday March 27 and Friday, March 28.
Why are there three different opening days in baseball this season?
Here’s what you need to know about the opening of the 2025 MLB season later this month, an opening that will include two teams playing in Japan in two official MLB regular-season games before the rest of the league begins its season and one other game a day after the remaining MLB teams open their seasons.
When does the 2025 MLB season begin?
The 2025 MLB regular season will begin on Tuesday, March 18, when the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs play at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
The teams will also face off in a second game on Wednesday, March 19, at the same location.
Both games are scheduled to begin at 3:10 a.m. PDT (5:10 a.m. CDT).
When is 2025 Opening Day for other MLB teams?
Twenty-six other 28 MLB teams are scheduled to open their 2025 seasons with games on Thursday, March 27.
The only two teams not scheduled to play on March 27? The Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays, who are scheduled to open their seasons on Friday, March 28 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
The Rays are scheduled to play their regular season home games at that field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees, this season after Tropicana Field was damaged in Hurricane Milton.
When is every MLB team’s first game in 2025?
Here’s the date, opponent and time for every MLB team’s first game of the 2025 season (with time listed in the time zone for that team):
- Los Angeles Angels: March 27 at White Sox (1:10 p.m. PDT)
- Houston Astros: March 27 vs. Mets (3:10 p.m. CDT)
- Oakland Athletics: March 27 at Mariners (7:10 p.m. PDT)
- Toronto Blue Jays: March 27 vs. Orioles (3:07 p.m. ET)
- Atlanta Braves: March 27 at Padres (4:10 p.m. ET)
- Milwaukee Brewers: March 27 at Yankees (2:05 p.m. CDT)
- St. Louis Cardinals: March 27 vs. Twins (3:15 p.m. CDT)
- Chicago Cubs: March 18 vs. Dodgers (5:10 a.m. CDT in Tokyo)
- Arizona Diamondbacks: March 27 vs. Cubs (7:10 p.m. MST)
- Los Angeles Dodgers: March 18 at Cubs (3:10 a.m. PDT in Tokyo)
- San Francisco Giants: March 27 at Reds (1:10 p.m. PDT)
- Cleveland Guardians: March 27 at Royals (4:10 p.m. ET)
- Seattle Mariners: March 27 vs. Athletics (7:10 p.m. PDT)
- Miami Marlins: March 27 vs. Pirates (4:10 p.m. ET)
- New York Mets: March 27 at Astros (4:10 p.m. ET)
- Washington Nationals: March 27 vs. Phillies (4:05 p.m. ET)
- Baltimore Orioles: March 27 at Blue Jays (3:07 p.m. ET)
- San Diego Padres: March 27 vs. Braves (1:10 p.m. PDT)
- Philadelphia Phillies: March 27 at Nationals (4:05 p.m. ET)
- Pittsburgh Pirates: March 27 at Marlins (4:10 p.m. ET)
- Texas Rangers: March 27 vs. Red Sox (3:05 p.m. ET)
- Tampa Bay Rays: March 28 vs. Rockies (4:10 p.m. ET)
- Cincinnati Reds: March 27 vs. Giants (4:10 p.m. ET)
- Boston Red Sox: March 27 at Rangers (4:05 p.m. ET)
- Colorado Rockies: March 28 at Rays (2:10 p.m. MDT)
- Kansas City Royals: March 27 vs. Guardians (3:10 p.m. CDT)
- Detroit Tigers: March 27 at Dodgers (7:10 p.m. ET)
- Minnesota Twins: March 27 at Cardinals (3:15 p.m. CDT)
- Chicago White Sox: March 27 vs. Angels (3:10 p.m. CDT)
- New York Yankees: March 27 vs. Brewers (3:05 p.m. ET)
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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