MLB announces start date for 2027 spring training

Major League Baseball has set Feb. 19 as the start of 2027 spring training, but the season schedule could still be disrupted by a labor dispute.

All teams in Arizona’s Cactus League and Florida’s Grapefruit League will begin exhibition play on that date. The schedule also includes the Highway Series from March 21 to 23, opening at Dodger Stadium before moving to Angel Stadium for two games.

The Tampa Bay Rays will host the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field on March 20, followed by games against the Detroit Tigers on March 21 and 23. The regular season will open on Wednesday, March 24, with a single Opening Night game. The participants have not yet been announced. A 14-game Opening Day slate will follow the next day.

The planned 2027 season faces a serious strike threat beginning in December, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires. The owners propose a salary cap of about $245.3 million for 2027, saying it would improve competitive balance. The players’ union rejects a spending limit and instead seeks a higher luxury-tax threshold, a larger minimum salary and earlier access to free agency.