MLB Opening Day 2027 will be the earliest in the sport’s history. The traditional Opening Day slate is set for Thursday, March 25, 2027, with a standalone Opening Night game the evening before on March 24 — the first time baseball’s first day has ever landed this early on the calendar. This page covers everything: the exact date, the matchups, how many days are left, the traditions that make the day special, and the one big question hanging over it all.
For live scores once the season starts, see our baseball live score hub.
When Is MLB Opening Day 2027?
MLB Opening Day 2027 is Thursday, March 25, 2027. The season actually begins the night before: a single Opening Night game on Wednesday, March 24, televised on Netflix, with the two teams still to be announced. (For reference, the Yankees and Giants played the 2026 Opening Night game.)
The March 25 date makes 2027’s opener the earliest traditional Opening Day ever scheduled. Setting aside one-off Opening Night games, no MLB season had ever started before March 26 — until now. The full 2027 schedule was released on July 16, 2026, and it runs 162 games per team through September 26, with the All-Star Game set for July 13 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
The 2027 Opening Day Matchups
The March 25 slate features 14 games across the country, including some genuinely mouth-watering openers. Cleveland travels to the Chicago Cubs, Toronto visits the New York Yankees, Atlanta heads to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston goes to Seattle, and Philadelphia opens at Washington — with the Reds hosting St. Louis in Cincinnati, continuing one of baseball’s oldest traditions (more on that below).
Opening Day starters are usually each team’s ace, which means the first day of the season often delivers the best pitching matchups of the entire opening month. Check our baseball section on the day for confirmed lineups and probable pitchers.
MLB Opening Day Countdown: How Many Days Until Opening Day?
As of mid-October 2026, MLB Opening Day 2027 is roughly five months away — about 160 days from today. The countdown is simple to track: the season begins March 24 (Opening Night) and the full slate lands March 25.
One honest caveat belongs on every 2027 countdown. Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires in December 2026, and a management lockout is widely expected — the same situation that pushed Opening Day back from March 31 to April 7 in 2022. If no new deal is reached, the March dates could move. Treat the schedule as the plan, not a promise, and watch the labor talks through the winter.
Opening Day Traditions: The First Pitch and the Pageantry
No day in baseball carries more ritual than Opening Day. The most famous tradition began on April 14, 1910, when President William Howard Taft became the first sitting U.S. president to throw the ceremonial first pitch, at a Washington Senators game. Nearly every president since has kept it going — Franklin D. Roosevelt holds the record with eight Opening Day tosses, Harry Truman once threw with both his right and left arm in 1950, and Ronald Reagan became the first president to throw from the mound itself in 1988.
The pageantry goes beyond presidents. In Cincinnati — home of baseball’s first all-professional team — the annual Findlay Market Parade has marked Opening Day since 1920, an unofficial city holiday. The Reds remain the one club that almost always opens at home, a tradition stretching back generations. Everywhere else, expect bunting on the outfield walls, sold-out crowds, flyovers, and the one guarantee of the baseball calendar: every fanbase starts the day believing this is their year.
Opening Day History: Unforgettable Moments
The history of Opening Day is full of performances that still get talked about decades later:
- The only Opening Day no-hitter. Cleveland’s Bob Feller no-hit the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day 1940 — and it remains the only no-hitter ever thrown on the season’s first day.
- Aaron ties Ruth. On Opening Day 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 714th career home run, tying Babe Ruth’s all-time record in front of a Cincinnati crowd.
- The Big Train’s openers. Walter Johnson started 14 Opening Days for Washington and threw a record nine shutouts in them, including a 15-inning 1-0 duel.
- Teddy Ballgame never missed. Ted Williams hit .449 across his Opening Day appearances, with at least one hit in every opener he played.
These are the moments that give the day its weight — the feeling that anything, even history, can happen on day one.
What the 2027 Season Could Bring — and How to Follow It
Beyond Opening Day itself, 2027 shapes up as a fascinating season: the All-Star Game returns to Wrigley Field for the first time since 1990, the regular season ends September 26, and the winter’s free-agent class and the unresolved labor situation will define the storylines. For the day-to-day news cycle — scores, trades, injuries, and standings — our baseball news page covers it all season long.
To make sure you never miss an Opening Day story, set up Google News to follow baseball as a topic. Google’s own help pages explain how to find what you want on Google News and how to customize what you find on Google News — follow MLB and your favorite teams, and the headlines come to you.
Final Thoughts
MLB Opening Day 2027 — Thursday, March 25, with Opening Night on March 24 — is already historic before a single pitch is thrown: the earliest start the sport has ever scheduled. The traditions will be the same as ever (the first pitch, the bunting, the parade in Cincinnati), but the backdrop is pure 2027: a Netflix showcase game, a possible labor fight, and 30 teams starting 0-0. Mark the date, start the countdown, and enjoy the one day of the year when every team is tied for first.
FAQs
When is MLB Opening Day 2027?
Thursday, March 25, 2027 — the earliest traditional Opening Day in MLB history. A standalone Opening Night game airs the evening before, on Wednesday, March 24, televised on Netflix.
How many days until MLB Opening Day?
As of mid-October 2026, roughly 160 days remain until the March 25, 2027 opener. Count forward from today to March 25 for the exact number — or follow the countdown as spring training approaches.
What is MLB Opening Day?
Opening Day is the first day of MLB’s regular season, when all (or nearly all) 30 teams play. It is treated as a celebration — sold-out crowds, bunting, ceremonies, and each team’s ace on the mound — and dates back to the 19th century.
Why is the 2027 Opening Day historic?
Excluding one-off Opening Night games, no MLB season had ever started before March 26. The March 25, 2027 slate breaks that record, making it the earliest traditional Opening Day ever scheduled.
Will there be a lockout before the 2027 season?
Possibly. The current collective bargaining agreement expires in December 2026, and a lockout is widely expected. In 2022, a similar standoff pushed Opening Day from March 31 to April 7 — so treat the March dates as the plan, pending a new deal.