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Baseball opening day is here. What to expect from the Dodgers and Angels this season
Yoán Moncada of the Los Angeles Angels steals second base against Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers during a Spring Training game at Dodger Stadium on March 23, 2026.
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Ronald Martinez
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The Dodgers begin their quest for a third straight World Series Thursday as the 2026 Major League Baseball season begins. Meanwhile, the Angels look to end a decade-plus playoff drought and log their first winning season since 2015.
A(nother) shot at history: A third World Series victory would write yet another chapter in the 2020s Dodgers already robust book of accomplishments. Only two other franchises in baseball history have won back-to-back-to-back World Series. The then-Oakland Athletics did it in 1972, 1973 and 1974 (they beat the Dodgers that year), and the New York Yankees did it in 1998, 1999 and 2000 with those mega-teams that included Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.
The challenges: Age is probably the biggest. The Dodgers are one of the older teams in the league. Most of their core players — Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Will Smith, Teoscar Hernandez, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell — are 30 or older. And playing with a target on your back isn’t easy — the Yankees, Mariners, Phillies and Padres will all aim to dethrone L.A. But the Dodgers are used to it, so if any team is equipped to win three straight World Series titles, it’s this Dodger team.
Isn’t there another SoCal team? The Angels also begin their 2026 campaign Thursday against the Houston Astros. New manager Kurt Suzuki, a former catcher who played for the Angels during his pro career, will try to right the ship in Anaheim. The Halos have a roster that sports young, talented players like Jo Adell, Logan O’Hoppe and Nolan Schanuel. And of course Mike Trout will play a role if he can stay healthy. There’s nowhere to go but up for this team. They finished last in their division, the AL West, last year, haven’t had a winning record since 2015, and haven’t made the playoffs since 2014. They’ll have their work cut out for them in a division that includes a powerhouse Seattle Mariners team and an annual contender in the Houston Astros.
How to watch: The Dodgers are at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets the start for L.A. First pitch is at 5:30 p.m. on NBC. The Angels are in Houston. Jose Soriano will start for the Halos. First pitch was at 1:10 p.m.
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