Twins announce plans for 2025 Home Opener, presented by your local Northland Ford Dealers
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – With Major League Baseball returning to downtown Minneapolis in just 17 days, the Minnesota Twins today unveiled plans for the 2025 Home Opener at Target Field presented by Your Local Northland Ford Dealers – a daylong celebration on Thursday, April 3, culminating in a 3:10 p.m. first pitch against the Houston Astros.
2025 Twins Home Opener tickets starting at an all-in price of just $9 (inclusive of fees) are available for purchase at twins.com, by calling 612-33-TWINS or 1-800-33-TWINS, or in-person at the Target Field Ticket Office.
Among the many highlights of the Twins’ 2025 Home Opener festivities:
Breakfast on the Plaza: This unique Twins tradition returns as fans are invited to drive, walk or bike down 7th Street (adjacent to the Twins New Era Team Store) between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m. to grab a free ballpark-inspired breakfast. Complimentary breakfast bars, hot dogs, chips and snacks, ice cream (including a special ice cream treat for dogs), coffee and pop will be available, courtesy of Twins partners Delaware North, Target, Unilever, Pan-O-Gold Baking Company, Sheboygan Sausage Company, J&J Snack Foods, GIANT Snacks, Pepsi, Crumbl and McDonalds. DJ Mad Mardigan will be spinning live on Target Plaza, while fans will also be able to hear a live broadcast of The Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar on Audacy’s 830 WCCO. Twins fans also have an opportunity to potentially win Twins Home Opener and Opening Weekend tickets!
Open the Gates: Twins legends Tony Oliva (Gate 6) and Kent Hrbek (Gate 14) will open their namesake ballpark entrances at 1:00 p.m., while “Bomba Squad” fan favorite Nelson Cruz (Gate 3), along with franchise icons Justin Morneau (Gate 6.5), Dan Gladden (Gate 29), and Kirby Puckett Jr. and Catherine Puckett (Gate 34), respectively, will also officially open the Target Field gates and welcome fans home for the 2025 season.
Home Opener Gate Giveaway: The first 10,000 fans through the gates for the April 3 Home Opener will receive a Twins City Connect Beanie, courtesy of Your Local Northland Ford Dealers, featuring the logo and color scheme of the Twins’ Nike City Connect uniforms. (Sunday, April 6 is “Kids Opening Day”, with the first 5,000 fans 12-and-under getting a Kids Twins City Connect Beanie.)
Welcome Back, Boomstick: The Twins are thrilled to welcome back former designated hitter Nelson Cruz, the heart and soul of 2019’s record-setting “Bomba Squad” and a 2021 American League All-Star, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the 2025 Home Opener.
Cruz, a three-time winner of the Bob Allison Leadership Award (2019-21) and a two-time recipient of the Calvin R. Griffith Award as Most Valuable Twin (2019 and 2020), batted .304 with 45 doubles, 76 home runs, 191 RBI and a .984 OPS in 258 games for Minnesota between Opening Day 2019 and the 2021 trade deadline. Celebrated for his play on the field and beloved for his charitable endeavors off, Cruz was also the club’s 2019 Carl R. Pohlad Award recipient for Outstanding Community Service, was the 2020 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award winner at the ESPYS, and recipient of the peer-voted 2020 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award.
Leather Jackets and a Rock N’ Roll Anthem: In recognition of the legacy of joy left by the late Michael Brindisi, the longtime President and Artistic Director of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (CDT) who passed away in February at the age of 76, the National Anthem will be performed by cast members of CDT’s current and most popular production, GREASE – now running on Chanhassen’s Main Stage through October 4.
Sam Stoll, Kasano Mwanza, Suzie Juul, Anna Hashizume, Angela Steele, Adam Moen, KateMarie Andrews, Audrey Parker, Tommy McCarthy and Cody Carlson – Danny, Sandy, the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies of Rydell High – will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
A Half Century of Openers: The Twins Territory flag will be raised by longtime friends Steve Ellingboe and Roger Faber, who met while in college and have attended every Twins Home Opener together since 1975 (excluding the 2020 season played without fans in attendance). The pair have brought close to 1,500 fans with them in groups to enjoy the joy of the Home Opener experience, spanning three ballparks (Metropolitan Stadium, the Metrodome and Target Field) and 50 years of Twins Baseball.
Flyover: The traditional Home Opener flyover will feature two F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Minnesota National Guard’s 148th Fighter Wing, based out of Duluth.
A complete rundown of scheduled events as part of the Minnesota Twins 2025 Home Opener presented by Your Local Northland Ford Dealers:
Pregame Ceremonies (in order):
- Joining in the Home Opener spirit, a multitude of local buildings will be lit in Twins colors, including Target Plaza South, the IDS Building, the Lowry Avenue Bridge, the 35W Bridge and Allianz Field.
- Fans are invited to join the Twins for Breakfast on the Plaza (6:00 to 9:00 a.m.) and drive, walk or bike down 7th Street to grab a free ballpark breakfast, possibly win Twins Opening Weekend tickets, and hear live music from DJ Mad Mardigan, along with a live broadcast of The Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar on Audacy’s 830 WCCO.
- Target Field’s gates will be officially opened for the 2025 season at 1:00 p.m.; Nelson Cruz (Gate 3), Tony Oliva (Gate 6), Justin Morneau (Gate 6.5), Kent Hrbek (Gate 14), Dan Gladden (Gate 29), and Kirby Puckett Jr. and Catherine Puckett (Gate 34) will welcome Twins fans back to the ballpark.
- The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Twins City Connect Beanie courtesy of Your Local Northland Ford Dealers.
- Fans who choose to enroll can enter Target Field via MLB Go-Ahead Entry, an optional, facial authentication-based ticket validation system developed by Major League Baseball that delivers the ultimate hands-free, free-flow entry experience; MLB Go-Ahead Entry is available through a designated lane each at Gates 3, 6, 29 and 34.
- Both teams will be introduced along the foul lines, with on-field pyrotechnics accompanying the Twins’ Home Opener starting lineup.
- An In Memoriam video and moment of silence will pay tribute to members of the Twins family and the greater world that we have lost this past offseason.
- The Twins Territory flag will be raised by longtime friends Steve Ellingboe and Roger Faber, celebrating 50 years of attending Twins Home Openers together.
- A giant American flag will be unfurled in the outfield by MyTwins Members, assisted by Master Sgt. (Retired) Richard Krivanek of the Minnesota National Guard’s St. Paul-based 133rd Airlift Wing.
- The National Anthem will be performed by cast members of GREASE, playing now through October 4 at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.
- A flyover will feature two F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Minnesota National Guard’s Duluth-based 148th Fighter Wing.
- The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by former Twins slugger Nelson Cruz.
- The Twins will face the Houston Astros in the 2025 Home Opener, with a 3:10 p.m. first pitch.
In-Game Elements Will Include:
- “God Bless America” will be performed by a servicemember from the Minnesota National Guard.
- MyTwins Members will lead Target Field in a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
- Fans can enjoy an extensive menu of new food and beverage options and returning favorites, while also enjoying the new, market-style concession layout at Sections 105 and 109.
The Twins extend special thanks to Home Opener presenting sponsor Your Local Northland Ford Dealers, along with partners Audacy’s 830 WCCO, Delaware North, Target, Unilever, Pan-O-Gold Baking Company, Sheboygan Sausage Company, J&J Snack Foods, GIANT Snacks, Pepsi, Crumbl and McDonalds, for their contributions to the day’s festivities.
Tickets Available
2025 Home Opener tickets starting at an all-in price of just $9, along with MyTwins Membership packages, group packages, Twins Pass and single-game tickets for the Twins’ entire 81-game 2025 regular season home schedule at Target Field are available for purchase via twins.com, by calling 612-33-TWINS or 1-800-33-TWINS, or in-person at the Target Field Ticket Office.