First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight.
The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB¡¯s two Opening Days. (Double-A, High-A and Single-A all get their respective campaigns started April 4.)
And right out of the gates, several of baseball's best prospects are on display: Roman Anthony (MLB No. 2/BOS No. 1) and Marcelo Mayer (MLB No. 12/BOS No. 3) lead a loaded Worcester squad against Syracuse in the MiLB Free Game of the Day.
Here¡¯s everything you need to know about Triple-A Opening Day, all in one place.
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Watch free MiLB games on MLB.TV
Baseball fans can watch Minor League Baseball games across all of MLB¡¯s digital platforms, as well as Bally Sports Live.
MLB.TV and MLB At Bat subscribers can watch their favorite team¡¯s Minor League affiliates in the app at no additional cost, while all MiLB games will be available on MiLB.TV, on the web and in the MiLB app.
But with or without a subscription, you can watch select, curated Minor League games featuring MLB¡¯s top prospects FREE here on MLB.com and on the MLB Pipeline homepage all season long. The MiLB Game of the Day will be available on MLB.TV as well.
The first two editions of the Game of the Day feature seven total Top 100 prospects. After seeing Anthony and Mayer on Opening Day, Saturday's game lines up Samuel Basallo (MLB No. 13/BAL No. 1), Coby Mayo (MLB No. 14/BAL No. 2) and the Norfolk Tides against Carson Williams (MLB No. 9/TB No. 1), Tre' Morgan (MLB No. 93/TB No. 4) and the Durham Bulls.
Notable games to follow
Rochester Red Wings (WSH) @ Buffalo Bisons (TOR), 2:05 p.m. ET: The first pitch of the 2025 Minor League season comes from a matchup between two Western New York clubs in the International League. There could be some pop on display with Nationals No. 4 prospect Brady House and Blue Jays No. 3 prospect Orelvis Martinez, a pair of sluggers with 60-grade power. Fun fact: this will mark the earliest a Minor League season has opened since the 1951 Pacific Coast League began on March 27.
Syracuse Mets (NYM) @ Worcester Red Sox (BOS), 3:05 p.m. ET: As mentioned above, this will be the first MiLB Game of the Day of the year, and you couldn't ask for much better of a matchup of top prospects. Anthony and Mayer garnered plenty of attention this spring and deservedly so after both showed they could be options for Boston quickly in '25.
Columbus Clippers (CLE) @ Toledo Mud Hens (DET), 4:05 p.m. ET: Raise a glass to the memory of Mud Hens broadcaster Jim Weber, who passed away this past August. 2025 marks the Mud Hens' first Opening Day in more than five decades without Weber on the mic, as he debuted on April 12, 1975 and went on to call more than 6,000 consecutive games. Matt Melzak, Weber's former partner, carries on Toledo's broadcast legacy.
Durham Bulls (TB) @ Norfolk Tides (BAL), 6:35 p.m. ET: There should be a little bit of something for everyone in this prospect-laden matchup, and that's why it's another Free Game of the Day. On the Durham side, Williams is considered a defensive wizard at shortstop, Morgan has an exceptional hit tool and Chandler Simpson might just be the fastest man in baseball. The Bulls will have their hands full, however, with the duo of Mayo and Basallo -- two sluggers who could each threaten for 30-plus homers in the Majors soon.
Oklahoma City Comets (LAD) @ Sugar Land Space Cowboys (HOU), 8:05 p.m. ET: Oklahoma City's long-running Pacific Coast League team makes its debut as the Comets, following a transitional year in which they were known simply as the OKC Baseball Club. The Comets' space-themed look is meant to convey a sense of optimism regarding the growth and evolution of Oklahoma City. It's also a tribute to Mickey Mantle, whose "Commerce Comet" nickname refers to the small Oklahoma town where he grew up.
Omaha Storm Chasers (KC) @ Iowa Cubs (CHC), 8:08 p.m. ET: There might not be a Triple-A lineup more loaded than Iowa's with four Top 100 prospects slated to open the season in Des Moines: outfielder Owen Caissie (No. 53), catcher Moises Ballesteros (No. 68), second baseman/outfielder James Triantos (No. 72) and outfielder Kevin Alc¨¢ntara (No. 89). All four already have experience at the Minors' top level too, so this could be a quartet primed to hit the ground running.
Salt Lake Bees (LAA) @ El Paso Chihuahuas (SD), 8:35 p.m. ET: The Salt Lake Bees enter the season with a refreshed look, one that features nods to their parent club as well as the long history of Minor League Baseball in Salt Lake City. This new aesthetic is in conjunction with the imminent opening of a new home, The Ballpark at America First Square.
Albuquerque Isotopes (COL) @ Sacramento River Cats (SF), 9:45 p.m. ET: You may have heard: It's going to be a busy season in Sacramento. The River Cats have called Sutter Health Park home since their 2000 inception, and now they'll be sharing it with the Major League Athletics. The River Cats kick off the facility's massive slate of games with a three-game series against the Isotopes. The Athletics play their home opener immediately thereafter, on March 31.
Round Rock Express (TEX) @ Tacoma Rainiers (SEA), 10:05 p.m. ET: Rylee Pay will call the action for the Tacoma Rainiers, and in the process she'll become the first female lead broadcaster in Triple-A history. Pay, who last season formed an all-female Portland Sea Dogs broadcast booth alongside Emma Tiedemann, follows Mike Curto as the Rainiers broadcaster. Curto spent 26 seasons with the team before announcing his retirement this past offseason.
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