MLB: Opening Day 2025

March 25, 2025 by CollegeFootballPoll.com Staff

The Cubs and Dodgers got a jump on the start of the 2025 Major League Baseball Season when they met for two games last week 9in Tokyo with Los Angeles taking both. Almost everyone else gets in on the action this Thursday, with the Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays joining the crowd on Friday.

Tampa Bay home games this season were forced to move across the bay from The Trop in St. Petersburg to the New York Yankees' spring training home at George M. Steinbrenner field, across from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa that houses the NFL's Buccaneers on North Dale Mabry. Hurricane Milton ripped off large portions of the roof at the climate controlled Tropicana Field.

Speaking of the Yankees, a 3:05 eastern time first pitch begins the days festivities in The Bronx with the opening of a 3-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers. They will play again on Saturday and Sunday with a day off on Friday. Jasson Dominguez, the Yankees' top prospect and betting favorite for the 2025 AL Rookie of the Year Award, is expected to start in left field.

Two minutes later, instructions ring out for the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays to "play ball" at the Rogers Centre as baseball in Canada gets underway. Watch to see if Tyler O'Neill can homer for the sixth straight opening day to surpass his current record. The former St. Louis Cardinal (2018-2023) and Boston Red Sox (2024) was signed to a 3-year deal in December.

And speaking of the Red Sox, the first pitch at Arlington's Globe Life Field is scheduled for 4:05 as Boston visits the Texas Rangers. Alex Bregman will be going against his former team after the Ranger of ten years, and AL third-base Golden Glove Award winner last year, refused a one-year offer to return and signed with the Red Sox for double the $20 million tender from Texas and triple the term (3 years). As reported on MLB.com, the Rangers are 3-0 on opening day at Globe Life.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals also get underway at 4:05 at Nationals Park along the Capitol Riverfront. The Nats finished fourth in the NL East a year, 20 games under .500 and 24 games behind the Phillies. These teams haven't met on opening day since 2010.

Five minutes later, the New York Mets open at the Houston Astros, the betting favorites to win the AL West.

Also at 4:10, the Cincinnati Reds host the San Francisco Giants. Each finished 4th in their respective division a year ago. The Giants will have a 19th different player start in left field over the last 19 seasons.

The San Diego Padres host the Atlanta Braves at 4:10 eastern time with Chris Sale going against Michael King. Atlanta has a recent habit of opening a season against the same team that ruined their World Series hopes the previous year. In 2024, they opened at Philadelphia after the Phils eliminated them in the 2023 NLDS, and now they revisit the stadium where they were swept in the Wild Card series last October.

Another 4:10 start has the White Sox hosting the Angels. These teams combined to go 104-220 a year ago with the Angels finishing 63-99 while the White Sox were 22 games worse than that at 41-121.

Speaking of woeful, the Miami Marlins, 62-100 a year go, will host the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 4:10 game. The Pirates were last in the NL Central at 76-86, but just 17 games behind the first-place Brewers.

The St. Louis Cardinals open at home versus Minnesota at 4:15 p.m. with a pair of former Twins teammates hitting the mound against each other - as Pablo Lopez (Minnesota) goes against Sonny Gray (St. Louis).

The Dodgers, already 2-0, after last week's victories over the Cubs in Tokyo, will take on Detroit at 7:10 p.m. at Chavez Ravine while the Cubbies visit the Diamondbacks who will put Ketel Marte on the mound for an eighth consecutive opening days start.

The Seattle Mariners host the Athletics at 10:10 p.m. Next Monday, the team simply known by their nickname will plays their first home game at Sacramento's Sutter Health Park. They are not expected to make their Las Vegas debut until 2028.