NBC and Peacock will welcome Major League Baseball for the 2026 season starting with Thursday’s 1:15 p.m. matchup between the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets in Citi Field.
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NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes will take the mound for the Pirates, and Freddy Peralta will be the Mets’ starting pitcher.
Pittsburgh held a 4-2 edge in the series between the teams last year, winning the last four (including a three-game sweep in June).
See below for additional information on how to watch the Pirates vs. Mets and a breakdown of the game. Also check out the schedule for the MLB on NBC and Peacock. There will be 27 prime-time MLB games featured across NBC, Peacock and NBCSN in 2026. NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock.
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How to watch Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets:
- When: Thursday, March 26
- Where: Citi Field in New York
- Time: 1 p.m. ET (1:15 p.m. first pitch)
- TV: NBC
- Live Stream: Peacock
Who are the announcers for Pirates-Mets Opening Day?
Matt Vasgersian will provide play-by-play alongside analysts Al Leiter and Neil Walker. The pregame host will be Ahmed Fareed at Citi Field with analyst Adam Ottavino.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets preview:
The Pirates went 71-91 in 2015, placing last in the National League Central and missing the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season (the NL’s longest active drought).
Skenes, 23, has made the All-Star Game in each of his first two seasons. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft, he led Major League Baseball in ERA (1.97) and led the NL in WHIP (0.95) to become the third pitcher to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award in his first two seasons (joining Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 with the Dodgers and Dwight Gooden 1984-85 with the Mets.
Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly enters his first full season in charge of his childhood team. He replaced Derek Shelton after the Pirates started 12-26 last year. Pittsburgh went 59-65 under Kelly, who secured a contract extension with the team where the Butler, Pennsylvania, native began a nine -season playing career in 2007.
The Pirates (whose 117 home runs last season wre focused on improving their power, adding veterans Brandon Lowe (second baseman, 31 years old), Ryan O’Hearn (1B/OF/DH, 32) and Marcell Ozuna (35, 1B/DH). Center fielder Oneil Cruz, 27, has spearheaded the Pittsburgh offense since his first full season in 2022 and led the team in homers (20) and stolen bases (38, tied for the most in the NL with the Mets’ Juan Soto).
The Mets finished second in the NL East last year at 83-79, missing the playoffs for the seventh time in nine seasons despite having World Series aspirations after signing Soto to an MLB-record $765 million contract.
After falling in the 2024 NLCS to the Dodgers, the Mets were the best team in the league at 45-24 through mid-June when poor pitching and inconsistency led to a collapse that ended with missing the playoffs on the final day by losing a tiebreaker to the Reds for the last wild card-spot.
New York set a record by using 46 different pitchers last year. The Mets have overhaueld their roster by moving on from five players who played a combined 36 seasons in New York, including 1B Pete Alonso (the franchise’s all-time HR leader with 264 who went to the Orioles), closer Edwin Diaz (Dodgers) and DH Starling Marte (Royals). OF Brandon Nimmo (Rangers) and 2B/OF Jeff McNeil (Athletics) were traded.
Starting pticher David Peterson is the Mets’ longest tenured player in his seventh season.
When do all 30 MLB teams have their Opening Day?
| Team | Date | Opponent | Time (TV) |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | Thursday, March 26 | at Dodgers | 8:30 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock) |
| Athletics | Friday, March 27 | at Blue Jays | 7:07 p.m. ET |
| Atlanta Braves | Friday, March 27 | vs. Royals | 7:15 p.m ET |
| Baltimore Orioles | Thursday, March 26 | vs. Twins | 3:05 p.m. ET |
| Boston Red Sox | Thursday, March 26 | at Reds | 4:10 p.m. ET |
| Chicago Cubs | Thursday, March 26 | vs. Nationals | 2:20 p.m. ET |
| Chicago White Sox | Thursday, March 26 | at Brewers | 2:10 p.m. ET |
| Cincinnati Reds | Thursday, March 26 | vs. Red Sox | 4:10 p.m. ET |
| Cleveland Guardians | Thursday, March 26 | at Mariners | 10:10 p.m. ET |
| Colorado Rockies | Friday, March 27 | at Marlins | 7:10 p.m. ET |
| Detroit Tigers | Thursday, March 26 | at Padres | 4:10 p.m. ET |
| Houston Astros | Thursday, March 26 | vs. Angels | 4:10 p.m. ET |
| Kansas City Royals | Friday, March 27 | at Braves | 7:15 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles Angels | Thursday, March 26 | at Astros | 4:10 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | Thursday, March 26 | vs. Diamondbacks | 8:30 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock) |
| Miami Marlins | Friday, March 27 | vs. Rockies | 7:10 p.m. ET |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Thursday, March 26 | vs. White Sox | 2:10 p.m. ET |
| Minnesota Twins | Thursday. March 26 | at Orioles | 3:05 p.m. ET |
| New York Mets | Thursday, March 26 | vs. Pirates | 1:15 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock |
| New York Yankees | Wednesday, March 25 | at Giants | 8:05 p.m. ET |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Thursday, March 26 | vs. Rangers | 4:15 p.m. ET |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Thursday, March 26 | at Mets | 1:15 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Thursday, March 26 | vs. Rays | 4:15 p.m. ET |
| San Diego Padres | Thursday, March 26 | vs. Tigers | 4:10 p.m. ET |
| San Francisco Giants | Wednesday, March 25 | vs. Yankees | 8:05 p.m. ET |
| Seattle Mariners | Thursday, March 26 | vs. Guardians | 10:10 p.m. ET |
| Tampa Bay Rays | Thursday, March 26 | at Cardinals | 4:15 p.m. ET |
| Texas Rangers | Thursday, March 26 | at Phillies | 4:15 p.m. ET |
| Toronto Blue Jays | Friday, March 27 | vs. Athletics | 7:07 p.m. ET |
| Washington Nationals | Thursday, March 26 | at Cubs | 2:20 p.m. ET |
How to watch MLB on NBC and Peacock:
Sunday Night Baseball will make its debut March 29 with a matchup between two 2025 first-place teams, as the Mariners play host to the Guardians. The 18-game MLB Sunday Leadoff schedule will begin May 3, with the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays visiting the Twins in Minnesota. On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
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MLB on NBC 2026 schedule:
Click here to see the full list of MLB games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
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