The calendar has turned to February, meaning one thing if you're a baseball fan: spring training!
MLB teams will start reporting to their camps in Arizona and Florida as soon as Tuesday, Feb. 10, and then the action will kick off on Feb. 20 with five games across the Cactus League and Grapefruit League. All 30 big league clubs will take the field the following day.
This year's spring training will look a little different, as teams gear up to play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, an international tournament featuring 20 national baseball teams that happens every three years. MLB clubs will match up against WBC teams in 28 exhibition games over March 3 and 4, including Team USA (the runner-up in 2023) playing a pair of games in Scottsdale, Ariz., against the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies.
Then, the Athletics will play a pair of games in Las Vegas -- their first in their future city -- when they host the Los Angeles Angels on March 7-8. Spring breakout games will return again in 2026, with teams putting their best prospects on the field to play in 16 exhibition games from March 19-22. There will also be multiple games between Cactus and Grapefruit League teams, with the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers traveling to Arizona to face the Chicago Cubs and Rockies, respectively, on March 23-24.
That brings us to the official start of the 2026 season. Baseball's Opening Night will showcase the Giants hosting the Yankees at Oracle Park on March 25. A traditional Opening Day will follow the next day, with 28 clubs playing in 14 games.
We have everything you need to know to catch up on your team's offseason and be ready for Opening Day as spring training begins.
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Key dates to know
Feb. 10-13: Pitchers and catchers first workouts
Feb. 14-17: First full-squad workouts
Feb. 20: First spring training games
March 3-4: WBC and MLB teams exhibition games
March 4-17: World Baseball Classic
March 19: Spring breakout games begin
March 25: Yankees-Giants on Opening Night
March 26: Opening Day