Astros First Month of Regular Season Will Set Tone for 2026 Campaign

The Houston Astros have an opportunity to redeem themselves this year.

Oct 22, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; The Houston Astros logo is seen during the third inning of game one of the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals at Minute Maid Park. | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The 2026 Major League Baseball season is just over two months away. Competition play will begin, and franchises across the nation will be off on yet another race to the postseason. After coming up short of the playoffs last year, the Astros are now seeking redemption.

The way in which they kick off their regular season will be telling — is this year going to be another flop, or will they have ironed out their wrinkles during spring training?

Division Rivalry Arrives Early

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Houston's home opener is scheduled for March 26 against the Los Angeles Angels, as part of a four-game series. With this being an AL West matchup, tensions will be high. Not to mention, the Astros will be looking to defend their territory at Daikin Park.

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The following week, Houston will be facing the Boston Red Sox for a three-game homestand. From then on, the ballclub will be able to relax just a bit while they take on the Athletics and the Colorado Rockies in April, both on the road.

Of course, these aren't expected to be grueling sets for the Astros, but anything is possible in the big leagues — they must approach with caution.

Competition Heats Up Mid-April

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Just when Houston starts to settle into the regular season, a four-game road series against the Seattle Mariners will arrive in mid-April. Once again, this will be an AL West meeting, this time against the top team in their division. Last year, the Mariners finished 90-72 overall, but Houston wasn't too far behind; they finished 87-75.

Once Houston returns to the Lone Star State, they will enter three sets of three-game series, starting with Colorado, followed by the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland Guardians.

Astros, New York Yankees Revisit Bitter History

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It's no secret that there's tension between Houston and the Yankees, which makes this matchup all the more invigorating for fans on both sides. Fortunately for the Astros, their first set against New York will be a homestand series.

The two ballclubs will not face each other again until August. But the months in between will be incredibly challenging for Houston as the players attempt to carve out a new name for themselves.

Welcome to Camden Yards

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To close the month, the Astros will head to Camden Yards to play the Baltimore Orioles. The last time they competed was back in August when Baltimore won the three-game set, with one of the games resulting in a 7-0 shutout, followed by a shocking 12-0 victory two days later.

Overall, April is going to put Houston to the test, but it's a chance for the franchise to start fresh and set a positive tone for the remainder of the season.

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