As the MLB offseason begins to wind down, the Atlanta Braves' 2026 season is almost here. Despite how last season ended, Braves fans are excited for the campaign ahead after a productive offseason that has allowed the front office to flesh out the roster and help the returning players get healthy.
With that in mind, it won't be long until the real baseball action begins, which is why Braves fans should already be circling these four important dates on their calendars.
4 Most Important Braves Dates This Spring
1. Feb. 10: Pitchers and Catchers Report
This is the date pitchers and catchers report and kick off over a month of spring training action. While it isn't yet game action, it is excitingly close.
Since the end of September 2025, Atlanta fans have been waiting for real news and their first glimpse at the next version of their roster. Headlines will begin to emerge, and fans will start to get a better idea of rehabbing players and where the Braves' rotation is heading into the next month of spring training.
It is especially important for Atlanta fans after Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes, and Spencer Schwellenbach all dealt with extended injuries the previous season. Gauging how healthy the rotation might be and where the Braves are when it comes to full strength will be the focus of fans as the new season finally kicks off.
2. Feb. 21: Atlanta Braves @ Tampa Bay Rays
After 11 days of headline watching, fans will finally get their first game action from spring training as the franchise opens its season against the Tampa Bay Rays. The most entertaining piece of this is how Atlanta's new offseason additions might look and what pitchers the Braves give an opportunity to. While the stats might not matter, it is a chance to set the tone for the season ahead and for Atlanta fans to speculate on how close its top prospects might be or which fringe roster players are deserving of early attention.
No question, even if it doesn't have the meaning of games later in the season, fans are simply excited to see baseball return for the first time in 2026. Atlanta fans hope that the majority of its core can remain healthy throughout the meaningless contests after back-to-back years of being plagued by injuries.
3. March 4: Braves Take on Colombia in Spring Training Action
Just when the novelty of baseball being back will start to fade, and fans are ready for meaningful action, the schedule offers a curveball. The Braves will take on the Colombian roster in an effort to help the squad prepare for the World Baseball Classic. The roster includes two former Braves players in starter Julio Teheran and infielder Gio Urshela.
Colombia offers a change in the typical spring training schedule, giving fans a reason to pay attention to what is a fun, albeit meaningless, matchup.
It would be a great opportunity for Teheran to start against his old club and offer Braves fans a chance to walk down memory lane. Regardless, it is a great matchup and a fun wrinkle that could be introduced more with additional exhibitions outside the league to begin to make the weeks of spring training a bit more entertaining.
4. March 27: Opening Day vs. Kansas City Royals
The first meaningful series of the year will be played in Atlanta as the Braves open the year with a six-game homestand against the Kansas City Royals and Athletics.
Kansas City is a fun matchup that offers fans a chance to see Bobby Witt Jr. and the Braves a great opportunity to start the year off on a winning note. Considering Atlanta's seven-game losing streak to start the 2025 season, there will be far more attention paid to how the franchise starts the year and if the page has truly been turned from last season's misery.
Also of importance is the fact that this will be Atlanta's first home Opening Day in over three years. It is a welcome opportunity to start the season properly and give fans a chance to rally behind a team that has started each of the past two seasons on a low note. No question, this is the crowning baseball event of the spring and a day that can't arrive soon enough.