MLB Opening Day 2025: Full Schedule, Fixtures, Start Time, How and Where to Watch

The MLB regular season will kick out on FOX in Tokyo, Japan on March 18. The traditional MLB Opening Day is scheduled to start on Thursday, March 27. This is the first Opening Day in Major League Baseball’s history. Know everything about the teams, times, and TV channels for this year’s Opening Day games, all in Eastern time.

Some of our favorite players will soon be able to be seen in their new homes. While Willy Adames of the San Francisco Giants, Juan Soto of the New York Mets, and Corbin Burnes of the Arizona Diamondbacks are sure to excite us, Tanner Scott and Blake Snell, who are new to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Kyle Tucker of the Chicago Cubs will be the first to be shown.

The MLB regular season begins Tuesday, March 18, with a two-game series between the Dodgers and Cubs in Japan. Undoubtedly, the other 28 Major League Baseball teams will not be taking part because their regular season openers are not until later in March.

Here is all the information you need to know about MLB Opening Day:

When does MLB season 2025 begin?

The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs will play a two-game series in Tokyo, Japan, to kick off the 2025 Major League Baseball season abroad. The Cubs and Dodgers will play on March 19 and March 18 respectively. The MLB season opener has been hosted in Tokyo, Japan, six times now.

Shota Imanaga of the Cubs and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers will both start for the first time on Opening Day.

When does the season begin for the Cubs and Dodgers?

The first pitch of the Dodgers vs. Cubs series in Japan is set for 6:10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, March 18. Fans can use a Fubo subscription or MLB.TV to view the game.

When is MLB Opening Day for everyone else?

On Thursday, March 27, there will be 28 teams playing on traditional MLB Opening Day. The Dodgers and Cubs will still play Opening Day games even though they will have already played two games. The Dodgers will play the Detroit Tigers at home, while the Cubs will play the Diamondbacks in Arizona.

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The Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays are the only teams not playing on March 27. The Rays were allowed an extra day to get ready for the 2025 regular season as they set up their new, temporary home at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees’ spring training home after Hurricane Milton devastated the Tampa area over the offseason.

2025 MLB Opening Day Schedule

MLB Opening Day is scheduled for Thursday, March 27, 2025, one week after the games in Japan. The matchups scheduled for that day are listed below, along with the starting pitchers and the number of Opening Day starts they have made:

Thursday, March 27

• Milwaukee Brewers vs. New York Yankees – 3:05 p.m. (Freddy Peralta – 2)
• Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays – 3:07 p.m.
• Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals – 4:05 p.m. (Zack Wheeler – 2)
• Boston Red Sox vs. Texas Rangers – 4:05 p.m.
• Cleveland Guardians vs. Kansas City Royals – 4:10 p.m.
• Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres – 4:10 p.m.
• San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds – 4:10 p.m. (Logan Webb – 4, Hunter Greene – 2)
• Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Miami Marlins – 4:10 p.m. (Sandy Alcantara – 5)
• Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago White Sox – 4:10 p.m. (Yusei Kikuchi – 1)
• New York Mets vs. Houston Astros – 4:10 p.m.
• Minnesota Twins vs. St. Louis Cardinals – 4:15 p.m. (Pablo López – 3)
• Detroit Tigers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers – 7:10 p.m. (Tarik Skubal – 2)
• Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners – 10:10 p.m.
• Chicago Cubs vs. Arizona Diamondbacks – 10:10 p.m.

Friday, March 28

• Colorado Rockies vs. Tampa Bay Rays – 4:10 p.m. (Shane McClanahan – 3)

How can I watch the MLB Opening Day games, and which channel will broadcast them?

Each baseball club’s regional sports network is going to broadcast most Opening Day games. The MLB’s opening night game will air on ESPN. For additional information on each station, see MLB Schedule.

How can I stream MLB Opening Day games or watch them without a cable subscription?

The games can be streamed via streaming platforms that carry RSNs and ESPN. With local blackout restrictions, MLB.TV is another place to watch MLB games.

Which MLB teams are in action on Opening Day?

Opening Day match will be played by 28 of the 30 MLB clubs. The game between the Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays was moved to March 28 to give the Rays’ home park, George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, additional time to be ready for the 2025 season.