The Minnesota Twins will take on the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday for their 2026 home opener, with a new manager and plenty of accompanying fanfare.<\/p>\n
First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. at Target Field.<\/p>\n
Early risers can head to downtown Minneapolis starting at 6 a.m. for a free breakfast on the plaza outside the ballpark. Along with breakfast sandwiches, hot dogs, brats, chips, snacks, coffee and Pepsi, fans can enjoy live music. The event ends at 9 a.m.<\/p>\n
Minnesota cover band The Fabulous Armadillos will play a free concert for fans at 1 p.m. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The first 10,000 fans at the game will get a free Twins beanie, but the deals don’t end there. The Twins are offering a pregame happy hour featuring beers, hot dogs and snacks for $2 a piece. The offer lasts from 1 p.m., when gates open, to first pitch.<\/p>\n
On the mound for the ceremonial first pitches will be Cory Thiesse<\/a> and Korey Dropkin, the medal-winning U.S. Olympic curlers, as well as Paralympian snowboarder Mike Schultz. Thiesse \u2014 a Duluth, Minnesota, native \u2014 was the first American woman to medal in curling. Other Olympians<\/a> and Paralympians will be honored before and during the game, as well.<\/p>\n Tickets for the game are still available for as little as $20 each.<\/p>\n The Twins have a new face in the dugout this season, with Derek Shelton<\/a> taking over as manager after the firing of Rocco Baldelli<\/a>. Shelton previously spent six years as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ manager, going 306-440.<\/p>\n Baldelli’s exit came after a 70-92 season, the culmination of two years of payroll shedding and injuries following the team’s first postseason success in almost two decades in 2023. Fan enthusiasm won’t likely be much higher this season, with another roster thin at talent and a preseason injury to ace Pablo Lopez<\/a> that will keep him out for the year. An improved year will rest on a resurgence from the oft-injured Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis and overachievement from young players.<\/p>\n