The first game of the 2026 MLB season is officially in the books, as the New York Yankees trounced the San Francisco Giants 7-0 on Opening Night — no thanks to reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, who was the only Yankee to finish the game without a hit. Judge went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts to open the year.
Unfortunately for Judge, his lack of production was literally historic, making him the first reigning MVP to ever earn a golden sombrero in a season opener.
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We’ve got 11 more games on tap Thursday, starting with Pirates ace Paul Skenes, fresh off a stellar outing with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, against the New York Mets in Queens.
The night ends with back-to-back appearances by the defending champions and a team that came within a game of last year’s World Series: the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound before the Seattle Mariners close out the evening against the Cleveland Guardians.
Looking to follow along with your favorite MLB team on TV? Well, that got a little more complicated this year. Read all about how to watch the action this season in our very simple and straightforward 16-step guide.
1:15 p.m. — Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets (NBC/Peacock)
2:10 p.m. — Chicago White Sox vs. Milwaukee Brewers (MLB.TV)
2:20 p.m. — Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs (MLB.TV)
3:05 p.m. — Minnesota Twins vs. Baltimore Orioles (MLB.TV)
4:10 p.m. — Boston Red Sox vs. Cincinnati Reds (MLB.TV)
4:10 p.m. — Los Angeles Angels vs. Houston Astros (MLB.TV)
4:10 p.m. — Detroit Tigers vs. San Diego Padres (MLB Network/MLB.TV)
4:15 p.m. — Texas Rangers vs. Philadelphia Phillies (ESPN Unlimited/MLB.TV)
4:15 p.m. — Tampa Bay Rays vs. St. Louis Cardinals (MLB.TV)
8:30 p.m. — Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (NBC/Peacock)
10:10 p.m. — Cleveland Guardians vs. Seattle Mariners (MLB.TV)
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Check out every team’s Opening Day pitching matchup here
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest news and updates from Opening Day.
Live22 updatesThu, March 26, 2026 at 10:15 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 11:32 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid chimed in on Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz’s defensive misplays leading to four runs for the Mets.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 11:25 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Other Opening Days are starting outside of Citi Field.
In Milwaukee, Chase Meidroth leads off the Chicago White Sox’s season with a home run off Brewers’ ace Jacob Misiorowski.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 11:21 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Prior to Brandon Lowe’s home run, the Mets won an ABS challenge.
A high, inside strike to Oneil Cruz was called a ball but Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez challenged the call. Upon review, the ball was overturned to a strike and Cruz was out.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 11:19 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Two at-bats, two home runs for Brandon Lowe, who’s off to a scorching start in his Pittsburgh Pirates career.
That cuts the Mets’ lead to 5-3.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 11:16 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Prior to today, the shortest outing of Paul Skenes’ career was the final start of his rookie season.
Facing the Yankees on Sept. 28, 2024, Skenes lasted 2 innings. But that was a pitch-count, innings-limit situation at the end of his first major-league campaign. Skenes threw 26 pitches, 17 for strikes in a 9-4 win.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 11:06 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Read more here from Yahoo Sports.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 10:58 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
A terrible first inning is finally over for the Pirates.
Yohan Ramírez relieves Paul Skenes, but his first-pitch slider results in a passed ball, moving Marcus Semien to third and Francisco Alvarez to second. Then he gets Lindor to fly out to left field to mercifully send this game to the second inning.
Mets 5, Pirates 2.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 10:53 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Paul Skenes doesn’t even make it through the first inning against the Mets. He gets 2 outs but gives up 5 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks.
Manager Don Kelly pulls Skenes from the game after a Francisco Alvarez hit-by-pitch.
Yohan Ramírez is coming in to relieve Skenes, who threw 37 pitches (27 for strikes).
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 10:51 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Another new Mets hitter, Marcus Semien, jumps on a first-pitch fastball from Paul Skenes and lifts it to short center field. Oneli Cruz loses the ball in the sun, and it falls for an RBI double. Cruz has had a rough two plays already in center field.
The Mets take a 5-2 lead against Paul Skenes.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 10:49 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
The Mets’ new batters loaded the bases, with a Jorge Polanco single and Luis Robert Jr. walk. Then one of their incumbents cleared the bases, with Brett Baty driving a ball to center field that Oneil Cruz misjudged.
The drive goes over Cruz’s head, resulting in a triple for Baty. That clears the bases for a 4-2 Mets lead.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 10:46 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Paul Skenes is facing a jam in the first inning. After giving up a single to Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr. battles to a 10-pitch walk.
That loads the bases with Juan Soto on third base. Brett Baty coming up to bat.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 10:40 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Bo Bichette fights off a low, inside changeup for a fly ball to right field near the foul line. It’s deep enough to score Francisco Lindor for the Mets’ first run of the season.
That cuts Pittsburgh’s lead to 2-1 in the first inning.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 10:38 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Juan Soto follows up Francisco Lindor’s leadoff walk with a single to center field and the Mets have runners on first and third base with no outs.
Bo Bichette has a chance to drive in his first run for the Mets.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 10:36 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Paul Skenes fell behind Francisco Lindor on a 3-ball, no strikes count. Skenes then got strikes on the next two pitches and Lindor fouled off a 3-2 changeup.
But the National League Cy Young Award missed with a fastball low on his next pitch and Lindor draws a leadoff walk.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 10:32 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Freddy Peralta struck out Bryan Reynolds, Marcell Ozuna and Ryan O’Hearn in succession to end the top of the first for the Mets. But that was after he served up a two-run homer to Brandon Lowe.
Here come the Mets in the bottom of the first with Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and new addition Bo Bichette.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 10:28 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
It took two batters into the 2026 MLB season for the Pirates to take their first lead.
After Oneil Cruz blooped a leadoff single, Brandon Lowe followed up by jumping on a curveball Freddy Peralta hung in the middle of the strike zone for a two-run home run — the first long ball of the 2026 season.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 10:25 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Thursday’s first game is underway. Freddy Peralta’s first pitch for the Mets to the Pirates Oneil Cruz is low and outside.
For what it’s worth, Paul Skenes is 1-0 in two career starts versus the Mets. He has a 2.08 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 13 innings.
Peralta has made 25 career appearances against the Pirates with 16 starts. He has a 3.36 ERA and 4-2 record with 26 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 9:25 AM PDT
Sean Leahy
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio will begin the 2026 MLB season on the 10-day injured list with a broken left hand, the team announced on Thursday.
Chourio suffered what was described as a bruised left hand after being hit by a pitch during a Venezuela exhibition game against the Washington Nationals ahead of the World Baseball Classic earlier this month. He would go on to play five games in the tournament, including the final.
Chourio’s placement on the IL is retroactive to March 25, so the earliest he would be available is in time for the Brewers’ first road trip in early April starting in Kansas City. But MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports that early estimates have the young Venezuelan star possibly missing between 2-4 weeks.
Thu, March 26, 2026 at 8:55 AM PDT
Sean Leahy
The 31-year-old hit 48 home runs and drove in 126 runs last season in 162 games with the Mets. He signed a five-year, $155M deal to join the Orioles in the offseason.