NEW YORK — Major League Baseball has penciled in March 24, 2027 as its earliest-ever domestic opening day — but whether that day actually arrives depends on the outcome of looming labor negotiations.
The league announced Thursday that the 2027 season will open with one game broadcast that evening on Netflix. The two teams set to play in that showcase matchup have not yet been determined.
The full slate of opening day games includes Cleveland visiting the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis heading to Cincinnati, the Chicago White Sox traveling to Detroit, Texas at Houston, Minnesota at Kansas City, Atlanta at the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Mets at Miami, the Los Angeles Angels at Milwaukee, Toronto at the New York Yankees, the Athletics at Pittsburgh, Arizona at San Diego, Colorado at San Francisco, Boston at Seattle, Baltimore at Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia at Washington.
The big question mark hanging over all of it is the labor situation. Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires December 1, and a management lockout is widely expected to follow. In 2022, a similar standoff wasn’t resolved until March 10, which pushed opening day back from March 31 to April 7.
On the bright side for fans, Chicago’s Wrigley Field is set to host the All-Star Game on July 13, followed by a rivalry weekend. The regular season is currently scheduled to wrap up on September 26.
The Athletics will spend most of their 2027 home schedule at a ballpark in West Sacramento, California, for the third consecutive year before eventually relocating to a new facility in Las Vegas. The team will also hold a homestand at the Triple-A ballpark in Las Vegas beginning May 31, with games against San Diego and Cincinnati.
Because no new labor agreement is in place for 2027, no international games are currently on the schedule.
