Ronald Acuña Jr. and Maikel Garcia are riding high after helping Venezuela win the World Baseball Classic. The two will enjoy the experience of playing in the same Opening Day game.
Acuña’s Braves will host Garcia’s Royals to begin the 2026 season. Both Atlanta and Kansas City will be looking to return to the postseason after missing out last year.
Garcia was named the WBC MVP and Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino enhanced his fame while helping Italy reach the semifinals. They will be looking to extend their March success against a Braves team that also has plenty of star power in the form of Acuña, Austin Riley and Matt Olson.
Ragans Takes the Mound for Kansas City
Left-hander Cole Ragans will make his third consecutive Opening Day start in his career and all for Kansas City, where the 28-year-old has blossomed into an ace. Since the club acquired him ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline, Ragans’ 9.2 fWAR ranks third among American League pitchers behind Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet. Since ‘23, Ragans’ 11.64 strikeout-per-nine ranks second among AL pitchers to Crochet’s 11.8.
A priority for Ragans this season is staying on the field after he logged just 61 2/3 innings last season, sidelined first with a left groin strain and then most of the year with a left rotator cuff strain. It’s not the first time Ragans has suffered injuries. He underwent two Tommy John surgeries as a Rangers prospect, so his health is paramount in 2026. And for the Royals to get to where they want to go in October, they need Ragans on the mound for the majority of the season.
On Opening Day last year, Ragans allowed three runs on five hits and two walks in five innings to go with three strikeouts against the Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. He’s only faced the Braves once in his career, back with the Rangers in 2023, when he threw three innings in relief and allowed four runs.
Sale Gets the Nod for Atlanta
Chris Sale will be making his second straight Opening Day start for Atlanta and the seventh of his career. The 2024 Cy Young Award winner has posted a 2.46 ERA over 50 appearances (49 starts) for the Braves over the past two seasons.
Despite missing two months with a broken rib last year, he still ranks 10th among all MLB pitchers with 390 strikeouts over the past two seasons. The nine-time All-Star also ranks second among starters with a 32.2% strikeout rate.
Viewing Information
- First pitch at Truist Park is set for Friday, 7:15 p.m. ET/6:15 CT.
- Royals: Royals.TV streaming services and select cable and satellite providers
- Braves: BravesVision, Gray TV, Braves.TV, MLB.TV
- All out-of-market games are available live or on demand in the US on MLB.TV
Both Atlanta and Kansas City will be looking to return to the postseason after missing out last year.