September means the end of the Minor League Baseball season — and a look towards when the next one will begin. However, leagues within the Minor League ecosystem have different start dates, depending on what level (i.e., Triple-A, Double-A, High-A, Low-A) each team plays in. Here’s a look at when Minor League affiliates will start the 2026 campaign.

When is 2026 Opening Day for Triple-A?

The 2026 Triple-A season will start on March 27, 2026. This will come just two days after MLB Opening Day, and one day after all 28 other Major League teams begin their year.

Before the axed 2020 campaign, Triple-A teams — and virtually all full-season teams by and large — started in early April, roughly a week after the start of the Major League season. The 2021 campaign started in May due to concerns over the pandemic.

But in recent years, the Triple-A season has started at around the same date as the MLB season, allowing organizations to have a cache of players who are ready to play for the big league team if needed due to injury.

Additionally, another benefit to that is rehabbing players not ready for the Majors can have a Minor League affiliate available to play at before returning to “The Show.”

When is Opening Day for everyone else?

April 3, 2026.

Much like precedent from past seasons, non-Triple-A affiliates start their seasons roughly a week after the Majors.

It should be noted that many Minor League teams released their 2026 season schedules late in the 2025 season, a common tactic.

We should note that the above applies to full-season affiliates. Short-season affiliates (FCL, ACL, DSL) start later.

The FCL and ACL started the 2025 campaign in early May, while the Dominican Summer League began a month later.

Check out more of our Minor League Baseball coverage.