The 2026 Major League Baseball season officially begins this Wednesday, March 25, with a high-stakes primetime matchup between two of the sport’s most iconic franchises. While the rest of the league prepares for a full slate on Thursday, all eyes are on San Francisco for Opening Night presented by Adobe. From a star-studded broadcast booth to a massive pitching duel, here is the ultimate guide to tonight’s action.
Starting Pitchers: The Battle of Aces
Managers Aaron Boone and Tony Vitello have confirmed their top arms for the opener:
New York Yankees: Max Fried (LHP). Entering the second year of his $218M contract, Fried is making his pinstripe Opening Day debut after a stellar 19-win season in 2025.
San Francisco Giants: Logan Webb (RHP). The workhorse of the NL makes his fifth consecutive Opening Day start. Webb led the National League with 224 strikeouts last year and looks to avenge his 2023 opening loss to the Yankees.
Confirmed Opening Night Rosters and Projected Lineups
The Yankees feature big off-season acquisition Cody Bellinger, while the Giants showcase their newest star, Rafael Devers, in his first Opening Day by the Bay.
New York Yankees Projected Lineup:
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B)
- Cody Bellinger (LF)
- Aaron Judge (RF)
- Giancarlo Stanton (DH)
- Paul Goldschmidt (1B)
- Ryan McMahon (3B)
- Austin Wells (C)
- Jose Caballero (SS)
- Trent Grisham (CF)
San Francisco Giants Projected Lineup:
- Luis Arraez (2B)
- Willy Adames (SS)
- Rafael Devers (1B)
- Matt Chapman (3B)
- Heliot Ramos (LF)
- Jung Hoo Lee (RF)
- Harrison Bader (CF)
- Patrick Bailey (C)
- Jerar Encarnacion (DH)
Game Information: Time and Location
- Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026
- Time: 8:05 p.m. ET / 5:05 p.m. PT
- Pregame Show: Starts at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT
- Venue: Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA
Where to Watch: The Netflix Era
For the first time in history, a regular-season MLB game will be unavailable on traditional cable or local networks like YES or NBC Sports Bay Area.
- Exclusive Stream: Netflix (Available on all subscription plans).
- Broadcast Team: Matt Vasgersian (play-by-play) with Hall of Famer CC Sabathia and Giants legend Hunter Pence in the booth.
- Studio Analysts: Albert Pujols, Anthony Rizzo, and Barry Bonds.
Key storylines to watch
Aaron Judge, a Northern California native, returns to Oracle Park. He has historically crushed Logan Webb, hitting two home runs in their previous career meetings. Reliever Cade Winquest has made the Yankees’ roster, a rare feat for a Rule 5 draft pick in New York.
As part of the Netflix partnership, “Thing” from the hit series Wednesday is scheduled to deliver the game ball for the first pitch ceremony.
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