Marlins to open 2026 season with easiest homestand ever

Next year, the Miami Marlins will start their regular season earlier than ever. It's still seven full months away, but I would also expect them to be favored to win more heavily than they've been on any previous Opening Day.

As announced on Tuesday, the Marlins will host the Colorado Rockies for a three-game series beginning on March 26, 2026. The Rockies are on pace to lose 116 games in 2025. On paper, they'll be the weakest opponent that the Marlins have ever opened up against—based on the previous season's record, that distinction currently belongs to the 2009 Washington Nationals, who went 59-102 in 2008.

After the Rockies leave town, the Chicago White Sox will fly in for three games. The Sox are likely to finish with MLB's second-worst record this season (59-103 pace).

Of course, the Marlins will eventually face each of the 29 other MLB teams over the course of the season, but a franchise that has historically gotten off to slow starts has been gifted the softest possible opening week.

Various other details that I found interesting about the '26 schedule:

• Fourth consecutive season that the Marlins will open at loanDepot park
• 33 of the first 54 games are at home
• First-ever visit to Sacramento from July 3-5 (temporary home of the Athletics)
• Intimidating stretch coming out of the All-Star break—five series in a row against probable 2025 postseason teams, then a visit to Truist Park, which has always been a house of horrors for the Fish
• In New York to face the Mets from July 30-August 2, the period leading up to and following the trade deadline 
• Longest road trip occurs near the very end of the season from September 14-24

The Marlins incorporated Xavier Edwards, Agustín Ramírez, Kyle Stowers and Otto Lopez into their schedule graphic. They posted a video on their social media accounts that includes highlights of them, as well as Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, Eury Pérez, Jakob Marsee, Dane Myers and Heriberto Hernández. It should go without saying, but the marketing department does not influence baseball operations decisions, so there's no guarantee that all of those players will actually play for the Fish in 2026. The video was voiced by Marlins alumni and World Series champions Jeff Conine, Luis Castillo, Charles Johnson and Juan Pierre.