MLB Opening Day 2026 live: Lineups, updates, highlights, more - ESPN

Mike Trout belts it out of the park with a solo homer to give Angels the lead. (0:19)

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The 2026 season has arrived, starting with a 7-0 blowout victory for the New York Yankees over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night and continuing with season openers for the rest of MLB on Thursday and Friday. Whether it was ace showdowns, powerhouse matchups or new faces in new places you want to see, there was something for everyone in Thursday's games.

What are we watching as the season gets started? Here's our takeaway from each completed game and a pregame look at what you need to know for the remaining games Friday (including lineups, each team's initial 2026 Power Ranking and final offseason grade ).

Jump to: Relive the action | Takeaways | Friday games

Cleveland Guardians 6, Seattle Mariners 4

The Guardians and the Mariners are coming off division titles, but though the Mariners are a popular World Series pick, the Guardians are not expected to return to the playoffs. Cleveland served up four home runs but pulled out the win anyway, with -- who else? -- Jose Ramirez driving in the go-ahead runs with a two-out double in the seventh. Chase DeLauter might be the key to Cleveland's playoff hopes.

You might remember him making his MLB debut in the wild card series, so when he homered in the top of the first, he technically homered in his first career at-bat (but not his official MLB debut). He also singled ahead of Ramirez's double to keep that inning alive and then blasted another home run in the ninth. Cleveland needs offense -- and DeLauter might be the answer. -- David Schoenfield

Los Angeles Dodgers 8, Arizona Diamondbacks 2

The Dodgers' offense is incredibly deep and supremely talented. Also, as the Diamondbacks learned on Opening Day, it's the type you can't hold down for long. Zac Gallen did it for four innings, allowing just two baserunners. Then, the Dodgers exploded, scoring four runs in the fifth and another four in the seventh, a stretch highlighted by home runs from Andy Pages and Will Smith.

The Dodgers totaled 12 baserunners in those two innings. By the end of the night, they cranked out 10 hits, including an RBI double from newcomer Kyle Tucker. Seven of those hits -- including Tucker's -- came with two strikes. It was a reminder of what makes this offense so dangerous: The Dodgers are never out of it, no matter how well one executes. -- Alden Gonzalez

St. Louis Cardinals 9, Tampa Bay Rays 7

The Cardinals came back to beat the Rays on Alec Burleson 's home run that capped an eight-run sixth inning, and that wasn't the only sobering development for Tampa Bay. St. Louis deployed a strategy that might haunt dangerous Rays slugger Junior Caminero all season after he blasted 45 homers last year. The Cardinals walked him in four of his six plate appearances, refusing to throw him fastballs.

Given his bat speed and power, Caminero might face this game plan all summer, unless teammates around him in the Tampa Bay lineup do damage. Caminero, who drew only 41 walks in 2025, might have to wait for pitches to hit this year. -- Buster Olney

Los Angeles Angels 3, Houston Astros 0

It's Opening Day. Everyone is allowed to dream big, such as dreaming about a vintage Mike Trout season. This game looked like Trout circa 2016 or so. His 403-foot home run that broke a scoreless game in the seventh was a classic Trout swing, golfing a low fastball to left field. In his heyday, nobody hit a low fastball better than Trout. He walked three times. He played center field. He even stole a base, which gives him half his total from last season.

As for the Astros, their concerns heading into the season were lineup depth and bullpen depth. They didn't score, and the bullpen allowed all three runs. -- David Schoenfield

Philadelphia Phillies 5, Texas Rangers 3

After some aces got touched up in their first outings of the year, Cristopher Sanchez threw a masterful -- and typical -- six innings for the Phillies. Texas managed just three hits, didn't draw a walk and struck out 10 times, including the final three batters Sanchez faced. The last was particularly nasty, a left-on-left changeup -- one of the hardest pitches to throw effectively -- that got Corey Seager swinging.

Buoyed by a pair of home runs, Sanchez filled in admirably for Zack Wheeler on Opening Day. And with his return to a rotation that already includes Jesus Luzardo and Aaron Nola coming, the Phillies have reason to feel good well beyond Opening Day. -- Jeff Passan