For the first time since 2000, Major League Baseball is returning to NBC for the 2026 season, and what better way to jump back into America’s Pastime than with an Opening Day doubleheader featuring some of the sport’s brightest stars?
At 1:15 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock, superstar slugger Juan Soto and the New York Mets will have their hands full as they host the revamped Pirates and their young ace Paul Skenes at Citi Field. Skenes, who is still just 23, has already started two All-Star Games and won a Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year Award in less than two full seasons in the big leagues. He’ll be facing Freddy Peralta, a two-time All-Star who was acquired from the Brewers in January to give the Mets an ace of their own at the top of their rotation.
Closing out the doubleheader at 8:30 p.m. ET will be Dodgers and their once-in-a-lifetime two-star Shohei Ohtani hosting the NL West-rival D-backs at historic Dodger Stadium and raising the banner on their second consecutive World Series title. Ohtani, who is coming off his third straight MVP Award and fourth in five years, will be a batter only on Opening Day, but LA’s starting pitcher is no slouch either: postseason hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was pivotal in the Dodgers’ run last fall. Arizona, with a dynamic lineup led by stars Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll, will answer with veteran righty Zac Gallen, who has posted double-digit wins for the D-backs in each of the past four seasons.
It's just the start of what promises to be an exciting return to MLB on NBC. In addition to the Opening Day double dip, NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN will have a slate of 26 primetime games throughout the season, a “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase on July 5, the Wild Card round and more.