The New York Yankees open the 2026 season Wednesday night at Oracle Park against the San Francisco Giants, and there’s plenty of intrigue beyond just being the first game of the year.
For the Yankees, it’s all about ending that 17-year championship drought. They’re bringing back most of the core that fans watched in 2025 – Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm, Ben Rice and Trent Grissom all return in key roles.
The Giants, meanwhile, are starting fresh under Tony Vitello, the former Tennessee coach who’s making history as the first college skipper to jump directly to managing in the majors.
But the real storylines center around Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole.
Judge, the Northern California native, famously came within minutes of signing with his childhood Giants before returning to the Bronx. Now he’s back in the Bay Area, trying to start a championship run against the team he almost joined.
Cole’s situation is even more compelling. After missing all of 2025 following Tommy John surgery, his return timeline remains uncertain. When he does come back, many believe he’s the X-factor that makes New York the team to beat in the American League.
For opening night, Max Fried gets the ball for the Yankees. He was their best pitcher last season and draws the assignment against San Francisco’s Logan Webb, who’s coming off his World Baseball Classic stint with Team USA.
What makes this opener even more unique is how you’ll watch it.
How to Watch Yankees vs Giants
- TV channel: N/A
- Live stream: Netflix
This isn’t going on traditional television. Netflix has exclusive streaming rights to the season opener, and they’re bringing a loaded broadcast team.
Elle Duncan hosts, with Matt Vasgersian on play-by-play. The booth features former Yankee CC Sabathia and former Giant Hunter Pence – perfect for this matchup.
The desk includes Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols and Anthony Rizzo. They’ve also got Jameis Winston and Bert Kreischer as contributors, which should make for interesting television.
- Date: Wednesday, Mar. 25
- Time: 8:05 p.m. ET | 5:05 p.m. PT
If you prefer radio, you can catch the game on SiriusXM – channel 175 for the Yankees broadcast, channel 89 for the Giants feed.
New SiriusXM subscribers get four months free, which covers opening month and then some.
What’s Next
Both teams stay put for the weekend series, then hit the road. The Yankees head to Seattle while San Francisco travels down to San Diego.
Yankees Schedule:
| Date | Game | Time (ET) |
| Wed, March 25 | at Giants | 8:05 p.m. |
| Fri, March 27 | at Giants | 4:35 p.m. |
| Sat, March 28 | at Giants | 7:15 p.m. |
| Mon, March 30 | at Mariners | 9:40 p.m. |
| Tue, March 31 | at Mariners | 9:40 p.m. |
Giants Schedule:
| Date | Game | Time (ET) |
| Wed, March 25 | vs. Yankees | 8:05 p.m. |
| Fri, March 27 | vs. Yankees | 4:35 p.m. |
| Sat, March 28 | vs. Yankees | 7:15 p.m. |
| Mon, March 30 | at Padres | 9:40 p.m. |
| Tue, March 31 | at Padres | 9:40 p.m. |
It’s a long way from March to October, but for both clubs, the road to a potential championship run starts Wednesday night in San Francisco. The Yankees are chasing their first title since 2009, while Vitello’s Giants are trying to prove a college coach can make the transition work.
Judge gets to play the hometown hero returning as a villain. Cole’s recovery timeline looms over everything. And somewhere in the middle, there’s actually a baseball season to be played.
