Here's everything you need to know for Year 3 of Spring Breakout
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Spring Breakout is back for its third year, putting a preseason spotlight on baseball’s best prospect talents.
The two previous iterations have already given us several memorable moments, like Paul Skenes’ strikeout of Jackson Holliday in a matchup of former No. 1 overall picks and Roman Anthony’s home run deep into the Port Charlotte night to drown out “overrated” chants.
To get fans prepared for what ought to be another rousing year of Breakout games across Arizona and Florida, here are answers to some commonly asked questions:
What is Spring Breakout?
MLB Spring Breakout is a four-day event held in Spring Training sites around both the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues, and the annual showcase places an emphasis on getting attention on some of the game’s most talented Minor Leaguers and rookies. The 2026 Breakout series takes place March 19-22.
What big names have participated in the past?
The Spring Breakout alumni list is already robust.
There is a Cy Young winner (Paul Skenes). There are multiple Rookies of the Year (Drake Baldwin, Nick Kurtz), All-Stars (Junior Caminero, Jacob Misiorowski, James Wood) and even a Gold Glover (Masyn Winn). Last year’s World Series saw a Breakout alum take a star turn on the big stage (Trey Yesavage), and a few more are doing so in this spring’s World Baseball Classic (Skenes, Roman Anthony, Jackson Chourio).
Who could be next? Well …
What are the Breakout rosters this year?
The 2026 Spring Breakout 40-man preliminary rosters were released last Thursday and featured 91 of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects and 28 of the different club's No. 1 prospects.
Those preliminary rosters will be pared down to official rosters comprising between 23-27 players on March 18.
Which teams are playing which, when are the games and how can I watch?
There are 16 total games this year, with the Brewers and Phillies playing two apiece due to the odd number of clubs in Arizona and Florida. Five of the 16 games will be played as part of traditional, single-ticket doubleheaders with their corresponding MLB Spring Training games, and all 16 will be broadcast live and for free on MLB.TV, MLB.com and the MLB app.
The schedule is below (with broadcast details and game times subject to change):
Thursday, March 19
- Marlins @ Astros, 12:05 p.m. ET/9:05 a.m. PT (Space City Home Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- Phillies @ Twins, 1:05 p.m. ET/10:05 a.m. PT (MNNT, Amazon MLB FAST Channel, MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- Reds @ Giants, 4:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. PT (NBC Sports Bay Area, Amazon MLB FAST Channel , MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- Guardians @ Angels, 4:10 p.m. ET/1:10 p.m. PT (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- Nationals @ Cardinals, 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- Rays @ Mets, 7:10 p.m. ET/4:10 p.m. ET (SNY, Amazon MLB FAST Channel, MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
Friday, March 20
- Royals @ Rangers, 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT (Rangers Sports Net, Amazon MLB FAST Channel, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- Mariners @ Brewers, 5:10 p.m. ET/2:10 p.m. PT (MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- Red Sox @ Orioles, 6:05 p.m. ET/3:05 p.m. PT (MASN, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- Tigers @ Pirates, 7:35 p.m. ET/4:35 p.m. PT (SNP, Peacock, Amazon MLB FAST Channel, MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
Saturday, March 21
- Blue Jays @ Phillies, 1:05 p.m. ET/10:05 a.m. ET (NBC Sports Philadelphia, SportsNet, Amazon MLB FAST Channel, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- White Sox @ Dodgers, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT (CHSN, Amazon MLB FAST Channel, MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- Braves @ Yankees, 6:35 p.m. ET/3:35 p.m. PT (YES, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- Rockies @ Diamondbacks, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT (COLR, ARID, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
- Padres @ Cubs, 9:05 p.m. ET/6:05 p.m. PT (Marquee, SDPA, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
Sunday, March 22
- Brewers @ Athletics, 4:05 p.m. ET/1:05 PT (Amazon MLB FAST Channel, MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB app, Gameday)
Where can I buy tickets?
Links to Spring Breakout tickets can be found on the main event page here. They are also available on the Spring Training tickets website for each club.
What are the rules for Spring Breakout?
Let’s take a spin through some specifics:
Length: Games will be nine innings long, a change from the inaugural Breakout contests that ran seven frames. There are no extra innings, so tie games will be called after nine.
ABS: The Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System will be used in every Breakout game under the rules put in place for the Majors for the 2026 season. Each team will get two challenges to start the game, and successful challenges are retained.
Three-batter minimum: Unlike the Majors, this will not be in effect for Spring Breakout. This allows clubs to feature as many of their pitching prospects as possible in the showcase event.
Player re-entry: A pitcher who has been removed from the mound is still eligible to return to the game later. Position players can only do this if they are replacing someone removed due to injury.
The pitch timer and PitchCom devices will also be used throughout Spring Breakout. In a change from what can happen on the backfields, teams are not allowed to roll an inning to keep the game moving and protect pitch counts. Three outs must be recorded before moving onto the next frame.
Will there be a tournament this year?
No, not yet. This year’s edition will remain a series of exhibitions across Arizona and Florida. A tournament-style format is coming for the 2027 and 2028 versions of Spring Breakout, so you can look ahead to that.