2024 MLB schedule packed with marquee matchups
The 2024 MLB season began in Korea with the Dodgers and Padres meeting in the Seoul Series, followed by all 30 clubs slated to play on Opening Day on Thursday, March 28. The regular season will wrap up on Sunday, Sept. 29, with the 94th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard set for July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
The Seoul Series is just one of a number of exciting international contests slated for this year. The Rays and Red Sox will meet in the Dominican Republic Series during Spring Training (March 9-10), and the Mexico City Series (Astros vs. Rockies, April 27-28) and the London Series (Mets vs. Phillies, June 8-9) also will return from 2023.
Other highlights include two planned doubleheaders (Rangers at A’s on May 8, Rockies at Giants on July 27) and a special game in Birmingham, Ala., between the Cardinals and Giants at Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in the U.S. and the former home of the Negro Leagues’ Birmingham Black Barons. All 30 teams also will play on Jackie Robinson Day (April 15), Lou Gehrig Day (June 2), the Fourth of July and Roberto Clemente Day (Sept. 15).
Here is a look at some highlights from each team’s 2024 schedule:
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays
Opening Day: March 28 at Rays
Toronto will start the season with what figures to be a challenging 10-game road trip at Tampa Bay, Houston and the Yankees before holding its home opener on April 8 against the Mariners. Three visiting teams will make their first trips to Rogers Centre in at least eight years: the Rockies (April 12-14, first trip since 2013), Dodgers (April 26-28, first since 2016) and Marlins (Sept. 27-29, first since 2015), who will finish the season in Toronto. Schedule >
Orioles
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Angels
The Orioles won’t see much of the AL East early on, playing only three of their first 27 games against division foes through April 28. One series to circle on the calendar: From July 26-28, Manny Machado is slated to play only his second series as a visitor at Camden Yards -- and first since 2019 -- when the Padres come to town. The D-backs also come through in May, making their first visit since 2016, in a showdown of two of this season’s most exciting young teams. Schedule >
Rays
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Blue Jays
Will 2024 bring another hot start for the Rays? When they won 13 straight games to begin 2023, 10 of those victories came at home. Tampa Bay will be back at The Trop for 14 of its first 20 games next year, including visits from the Rangers, Giants and Angels. On the other hand, 16 of the Rays’ final 22 contests will come on the road, concluding with a series at Fenway Park from Sept. 27-29. Schedule >
Red Sox
Opening Day: March 28 at Mariners
After a season-opening 10-game road trip, baseball will return to Fenway Park on April 9, when the Red Sox host the Orioles. Later that month, the Cubs will arrive in Boston for only their fourth regular-season series at Fenway and first since 2017. It’s been even longer since the Red Sox have hosted the Padres (2013), who will bring Xander Bogaerts back to Boston for what is sure to be an emotional return from June 28-30. Schedule >
Yankees
Opening Day: March 28 at Astros
Yes, the Yankees will begin 2024 on the road against their frequent postseason tormentor, the Astros, while the home opener is set for April 5 against the Blue Jays. The 2024 schedule also brings a rare visit from the Yankees’ long-ago New York counterpart, the Dodgers (June 7-9). While the Yankees have hosted the Dodgers for a whopping 32 World Series games over the years (21 before the franchise left Brooklyn), L.A. has only played five regular-season games at Yankee Stadium -- two in 2013 and three in '16. Schedule >
AL CENTRAL
Guardians
Opening Day: March 28 at A’s
Cleveland will host the White Sox and Yankees for its first homestand of the season between April 8-14, but a more hotly anticipated visit from a New York team will come the next month. The Mets will be at Progressive Field from May 20-22, which will be Francisco Lindor’s first time suiting up there as a visitor after getting traded prior to the 2021 season. Lindor did already face the Guardians at Citi Field this May, hitting a walk-off single in the 10th inning of the first matchup. Schedule >
Royals
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Twins
Three NL West teams who haven’t spent much time at Kauffman Stadium over the years will come to town in 2024: the Padres, D-backs and Giants, who have played two games in Kansas City (in 2017) since celebrating a World Series title there after winning Game 7 in 2014. The Royals also will host the Marlins for the first time since 2013. Schedule >
Tigers
Opening Day: March 28 at White Sox
The Tigers’ home opener will be April 5 against the A’s, while the Twins, Rangers, Royals and Cardinals will also come through that month. One Interleague series of note is slated for July 12-14, when the Dodgers make their visit to Comerica Park since 2017. Freddie Freeman has not played a game in Detroit since 2013, while Clayton Kershaw -- if he returns for another season in L.A. -- could have a chance to take the mound at Comerica Park for the first time since June 15, 2008, when he was 20 years old and making his fifth career start. Schedule >
Twins
Opening Day: March 28 at Royals
The Guardians will serve as the visiting team for Target Field’s home opener on April 4. In the second half, the Phillies (July 22-24) and Marlins (Sept. 24-26) both will come to Minnesota for the first time since 2016. Target Field is the only active MLB ballpark where two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper has yet to play a regular-season game. The Miami series will offer the return of former Twin Luis Arraez, who has spent 2023 chasing a .400 average after an offseason trade. Schedule >
White Sox
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Tigers
The White Sox will both start and finish the regular season against the Tigers, closing things out at Detroit from Sept. 27-29. The Sox also get an early visit from the Braves (April 1-3), making their first appearance at Guaranteed Rate Field since 2016, which was two years before the electrifying Ronald Acuña Jr. debuted. Schedule >
AL WEST
Angels
Opening Day: March 28 at Orioles
The Angel Stadium home opener is set for April 5 against the Red Sox, and in an odd quirk, the Angels don’t welcome an AL West opponent until June 7, when the Astros come to Anaheim. One notable visitor during that stretch is the Phillies (April 29-May 1). Bryce Harper’s only career game at Angel Stadium came in 2017, and he has yet to appear there in a Phillies uniform. Schedule >
Astros
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Yankees
Houston will host some big early-season series in 2024, as the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rangers and Braves all pass through Minute Maid Park over the first three weeks. Atlanta’s series from April 15-17 will be its first there since clinching the 2021 World Series. Ronald Acuña Jr. could also make his Minute Maid Park debut, since he missed that World Series due to injury. The Astros will also face the Rockies in the Mexico City Series on April 27-28. Schedule >
Athletics
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Guardians
This will be the seventh time in franchise history that the A’s have opened their season against the Guardians, with the most recent instance coming in 2014. The A’s also face some big early series in April, hosting the Red Sox and Cardinals while traveling to take on the Rangers, Yankees, Guardians and Orioles. On May 8, the club will host the Rangers for the first of two scheduled doubleheaders across the Majors in 2024. Schedule >
Mariners
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Red Sox
For just the second time in franchise history, the Mariners will begin a season against the Red Sox, who also came to Seattle for Opening Day in 2000 -- several months before Julio Rodríguez was born. From April 26-28, the Mariners will welcome the D-backs and 2023 NL Rookie of the Year Award favorite Corbin Carroll, a Seattle native who just received a warm welcome during the All-Star festivities at T-Mobile Park. Schedule >
Rangers
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Cubs
This is the fifth time since 2014 -- and the fourth since 2019 -- that the Rangers have hosted an NL team on Opening Day. (The Cubs were also the opponent in ‘19 and bashed their way to a 12-4 win). The Rangers also have All-Star Game hosting duties in 2024, with the 94th edition of the Midsummer Classic set for July 16 at Globe Life Field. It’s the second time the ASG has come to town, with the 1995 edition taking place at The Ballpark in Arlington. Schedule >
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves
Opening Day: March 28 at Phillies
The first homestand of the season at Truist Park (April 5-11) will feature the D-backs and then the NL East rival Mets. From April 26-28, the Guardians will come to Truist Park for the first time since it opened in 2017, with Cleveland star José Ramírez playing only his second series in Atlanta after appearing at Turner Field in 2016. The Braves’ slate of home Interleague matchups also includes the Rangers, Red Sox, Rays and Blue Jays, among others. Schedule >
Marlins
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Pirates
The Pirates and Angels will be in town for the season-opening homestand before the Marlins embark on a road trip to face the Cardinals and Yankees. From July 5-7, the White Sox will come to Miami for a series for only the third time in franchise history (2004 and ‘16), bringing star center fielder and Cuba native Luis Robert Jr. for his debut there. The Rangers, Guardians and Mariners are among the other Interleague opponents who will visit Miami in 2024. Schedule >
Mets
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Brewers
Citi Field won’t play host to an NL East foe until a homestand against the Braves and Phillies from May 10-14. Among the early home opponents for the Mets are the Royals, who will visit for the first time since 2016 -- the year after Kansas City clinched the World Series there. From June 8-9, the Mets will then journey across the pond to take on the Phillies in the 2024 London Series. The Twins come to Queens from July 29-31, scheduled to be Carlos Correa’s second career game against the Mets, first at Citi Field and first since his free-agent deal with the team fell apart last offseason. Schedule >
Nationals
Opening Day: March 28 at Reds
After starting out in Cincinnati, the Nationals will return to Washington to play their home opener against the Pirates on April 1, beginning a homestand that will also include a visit from the Phillies. Other highlights include the Twins’ first visit to Nationals Park since 2016 (May 20-22), a Fourth of July tilt against the Mets and a series against the Angels (Aug. 9-11) that could feature former Nats star Anthony Rendon’s first games back in D.C. as an opponent since leaving as a free agent following the club’s 2019 championship run. Schedule >
Phillies
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Braves
The Phillies will get 16 of their first 22 games at home before embarking upon a 10-game road trip to Cincinnati, San Diego and Anaheim. They will have an even more ambitious trip from June 8-9, taking part in the 2024 London Series against the Mets. Philly will also face New York in seven of its final 16 regular-season games. The Guardians (first trip to Citizens Bank Park since 2016) and Astros (first since 2017) highlight the home Interleague slate. Schedule >
NL CENTRAL
Brewers
Opening Day: March 28 at Mets
The Mets will bookend the Brewers’ 2024 schedule, as they also come to Milwaukee from Sept. 27-29. The first homestand of the season at American Family Field (April 2-7) will feature a pair of Interleague series against the Twins and Mariners. A few AL East clubs also come to town along the way: the Yankees (April 26-28), Rays (April 29-May 1) and Blue Jays (June 10-12). Schedule >
Cardinals
Opening Day: March 28 at Dodgers
The Cardinals will play their home opener on April 4 against the Marlins. St. Louis also will have one very special home game that won’t take place at Busch Stadium. That’s scheduled for June 20 in Birmingham, Ala., where the Cardinals will be the designated home club for a matchup with the Giants at historic Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in the United States and the former home of the Negro Leagues' Birmingham Black Barons. St. Louis’ Interleague matchups will also bring some young stars to Busch Stadium for the first time, including Rafael Devers (Red Sox, May 17-19), Adley Rutschman (Orioles, May 20-22) and Julio Rodríguez (Mariners, Sept. 6-8). Schedule >
Cubs
Opening Day: March 28 at Rangers
Another season at Wrigley Field will get underway with an April 1-7 homestand against the Rockies and Dodgers. Plenty of intriguing Interleague opponents will make the pilgrimage to Wrigley throughout 2024, including the Astros (April 23-25), who have not played there since 2013, the first season after Houston departed the NL Central for the AL West. An Aug. 16-18 series against the Blue Jays will bring Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s Wrigley debut, while a Sept. 6-8 series against the Yankees will bring back Anthony Rizzo for the first time since his 2021 trade. Schedule >
Reds
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Nationals
Cincinnati will host its traditional Opening Day game once again in 2024, taking on the Nationals. The club will face a challenging stretch run, however, playing 14 of its final 20 games on the road, with trips to face the Mets, Cardinals, Twins, Guardians and Cubs. In between, the American League squads to come through Cincinnati will include the Angels, Astros, A’s, Orioles and Red Sox. This will be the first visit for the A’s since 2016. Schedule >
Pirates
Opening Day: March 28 at Marlins
The Pirates will travel to Miami and Washington to begin the year before PNC Park hosts the Orioles and Tigers for its first homestand (April 5-9). The Orioles, Angels (May 6-8) and Rays (June 21-23) will all come to town for the first time since at least 2017, with Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson among those set for their Pittsburgh debuts. Mike Trout, meanwhile, has only played three career games at PNC Park. For the annual Roberto Clemente Day on Sept. 15 -- when all 30 teams will be in action -- the Pirates will host the Royals. Schedule >
NL WEST
D-backs
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Rockies
After the D-backs host the Rockies for a four-game set beginning on Opening Day, a much less familiar foe will come to town. The Yankees (April 1-3) have only played 11 games at Chase Field in their history -- in the regular season, that is -- and Aaron Judge has yet to appear in a game there. The White Sox (June 14-16) and Blue Jays (July 12-14) also play at Arizona for the first time since at least 2017, which means potential Chase Field debuts for the likes of Luis Robert Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The D-backs also end their season at home with series against division rivals -- the Giants (Sept. 23-25) and Padres (Sept. 27-29). Schedule >
Dodgers
Opening Day: March 20 at Padres (in Seoul, South Korea)
The Dodgers have the honor of taking part in the Seoul Series, the first MLB regular-season games played in Korea. The franchise, which has featured four South Korean players including Chan Ho Park and Hyun Jin Ryu, will take on the Padres there in the first two games of the season (March 20-21). L.A. will be the designated road team for the first game and the home team for the second. Highlights of the 2024 schedule at Dodger Stadium include a matchup with the Nationals on Jackie Robinson Day (April 15), Corey Seager’s regular-season return as a member of the Rangers (June 11-13) and the first visit for the Red Sox (July 19-21) since the 2018 World Series. Schedule >
Giants
Opening Day: March 28 at Padres
The Giants begin the season with 10 straight NL West contests, including both their season opener and home opener (April 5) against the Padres. The Rickwood Field matchup against the Cardinals in Birmingham, Ala., on June 20 will have the Giants play on a field a teenager named Willie Mays once roamed in the Negro Leagues. San Francisco also hosts the second of two planned doubleheaders across the Majors (July 27 vs. the Rockies). And be on the lookout for visits from a couple of Giants targets from last offseason: Aaron Judge (May 31-June 2 with the Yankees), who has never played at Oracle Park, and Carlos Correa (July 12-14 with the Twins). Schedule >
Padres
Opening Day: March 20 vs. Dodgers (in Seoul, South Korea)
San Diego plays its first two games in Asia, facing the Dodgers in the Seoul Series as infielder Ha-Seong Kim returns to his native Korea, where he starred in the KBO before coming to the Majors in 2021. The home opener at Petco Park is set for March 28 against the Giants, who will be in town for four games, followed by the Cardinals for three. The Blue Jays (April 19-21) are set to visit for the first time since 2013, while the 2024 schedule also promises Juan Soto's return to San Diego and Aaron Judge’s first regular-season games at Petco Park when the Yankees visit from May 24-26, although Judge homered twice there in the 2020 ALDS against the Rays. Schedule >
Rockies
Opening Day: March 28 at D-backs
The Rockies do a lot of traveling early, heading to Arizona, Chicago, Toronto and Philadelphia over the first few weeks of the season. They also will fly south to face the Astros in the Mexico City Series from April 27-28. The Rockies’ April 5 home opener will be their first time hosting the Rays since 2016, while the Red Sox (July 22-24) and Orioles (Aug. 30-Sept. 1) also are scheduled for rare visits to Coors Field. Schedule >