This summer there will be many returns in the MLB. Some happy, others not so much.
Here are some of the dates to remember when the next season kicks off:
THURSDAY, MARCH 30
Chicago White Sox visit Houston Astros: The Astros will have another chance to celebrate the franchise’s second World Series championship when they host the White Sox on Day 1 of the season. Houston beat Philadelphia in six games to take the title last year. It will also be something of a reunion for Cuban first baseman José Abreu, who signed a three-year deal in November after spending nine seasons with the White Sox.
TUESDAY, APRIL 18
Los Angeles Angels visit New York Yankees: On the 100th anniversary of Babe Ruth inaugurating the first Yankee Stadium with a home run, Shohei Ohtani and the Angels kick off a three-game series in New York. Despite Ohtani’s having another stellar season, the Angels finished 73-89 for the franchise’s seventh straight losing season.
FRIDAY, APRIL 28
Atlanta Braves visit New York Mets: The old rivals will meet for the first time since the end of the regular season when they were fighting for the NL East title. After Atlanta came around to win the title and New York was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, Mets owner Steve Cohen decided to open the portfolio and signed several players, including pitchers Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga. . Atlanta lost star shortstop Dansby Swanson in free agency but acquired catcher Sean Murphy in a trade.
MONDAY, MAY 1
Philadelphia Phillies visit Los Angeles Dodgers: Trea Turner and Philadelphia visit Freddi Freeman and the Angels in a matchup of National League contenders. Turner played for the Dodgers last year, hitting .298 with 21 home runs and a career-high 100 RBIs. In December, the shortstop signed an 11-year, $300 million deal with Philadelphia. The Phillies will start the season without Bryce Harper after the slugger underwent elbow surgery in November, but hope he’ll be back before the All-Star break.
FRIDAY, JUNE 16
New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox: Aaron Judge and the Yankees will travel to Boston for the first time in 2023 to open a weekend series at Fenway Park against Rafael Devers and the Red Sox. New York went 13-6 against Boston last year with an added score of 109-76. But this year they will meet only 13 times due to MLB’s new balanced schedule. New York added Carlos Rodón to its rotation, while Boston signed Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida in a low-key winter.
SATURDAY, JUNE 24
Chicago Cubs visit St. Louis Cardinals: Baseball returns to London’s Olympic Stadium with Ian Happ and the Cubs to face Venezuela’s Willson Contreras and the Cardinals. National League Central rivals were due to play in London in 2020, but the game was canceled due to the pandemic. Contreras signed a five-year, $87.5 million deal with St. Louis in December and joins one of Chicago’s biggest rivals after spending his first seven seasons with the Cubs. The Cardinals’ first game at Wrigley Field will be May 8.
TUESDAY, JULY 11
Seattle All-Star Game: The All-Star heads to the Emerald City for the first time since 2001 and the third time overall. The last time Seattle hosted the game, Carl Ripken Jr. hit a home run that led to the AL’s 4-1 victory over Barry Bonds and the National League. Mariners star Julio Rodriguez was the runner-up in last year’s Home Run Derby and the dynamic outfielder will have enough support if he decides to give the event at T-Mobile Park another shot.
MONDAY, AUGUST 28
Texas Rangers visit New York Mets: Ace Jacob deGrom returns to New York after signing a five-year, $185 million deal with Texas. DeGrom, 34, spent his first nine seasons with the Mets winning Cy Young Awards twice to become one of the most dominant pitchers. He but he has been plagued with injuries in the past two years. After adding deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, Texas hopes to challenge Houston for the AL West title.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Guardians: The Twins and Guardians meet for the last time in the regular season to end a three-game series. Minnesota seeks to return to the postseason after signing for six years and 200 million dollars to Puerto Rican Carlos Correa. Cleveland won the AL Central for the first time since 2018 last year and finished 14 games ahead of the third-placed Twins. The Guardians added power to their roster by signing first baseman Josh Bell to a two-year deal.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
San Diego Padres Visit Los Angeles Dodgers: Manny Machado and San Diego wrap up the season series against Mookie Betts and the Dodgers with a three-game final shootout. The Dodgers won the 2022 NL West title for the ninth time in 10 years, but were eliminated by the Padres in the divisional round. San Diego made one of the most surprising decisions by signing an 11-year, $280 million shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Los Angeles stayed pretty quiet and didn’t make any impact acquisitions.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1
Tampa Bay Rays visit Toronto Blue Jays: Tampa Bay ends the regular season with a three-game series at American League East rival Toronto. The Rays reached the postseason for the fourth consecutive year, but lost a sweep to Cleveland in the wild card round. If Wander Franco can stay healthy he could give Tampa Bay the ultimate boost. Toronto also made the playoffs last season and could look better after acquiring starter Chris Bassitt in free agency and acquiring slugger Daulton Varsho in a trade with Arizona.