As we sit here in early November with the last vestige of the 2025 Major League Baseball season still fresh in our minds, it’s somewhat hard to believe that in under 100 days, pitchers and catchers will report to Florida and Arizona for the beginning of 2026 spring training. The MLB season is indeed long, but for the diehards, the fact that you typically don’t have to wait an eternity for the dawn of a new season is certainly a welcome thought.
The date that pitchers and catchers report is the most
frequently cited countdown upon a team’s elimination. But spring training doesn’t truly feel like spring training until the exhibition games start and we see our first glimpses of the still-forming teams in action.
Although there was a bit of a delay, the Yankees’ 2026 spring training schedule is now out. They’ll begin their Grapefruit League season against the Orioles on Friday, February 20th, and their first home game at George M. Steinbrenner Field will be the following day, when they welcom the Tigers to Tampa. Here’s the full slate:
Note that the World Baseball Classic will be back next year for the first time since Shohei Ohtani fanned then-teammate Mike Trout to secure the 2023 WBC for Japan. That begins on March 5th, and superstar Aaron Judge will be one of many players stepping away from their MLB teams for a bit to play for their home countries. Full rosters are not yet compiled, but Judge will serve as the captain of Team USA.
In anticipation of the WBC, a number of teams are playing exhibition games against certain countries; as such, the Yankees will face Team Panama on March 3rd in Tampa. Panamanian José Caballero will likely play against the Yanks in that game.
On March 21st, the Spring Breakout will return for a third edition. For those unfamiliar, it’s an all-prospect showcase to help familiarize fans with the next generation of up-and-coming talent. The Baby Bombers square off against the Baby Braves at Steinbrenner Field in a split-squad game, with other Yankees going on the road to play Detroit.
If your eyes are solely on Opening Day in San Francisco, no one will blame you! As already reported, the Yankees and Giants will kick off the 2026 regular season in a night game on March 25th. All the other teams will begin play the next day.
