Royals reveal 2026 spring training slate — with a World Baseball Classic wrinkle
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals schedule 32 Cactus League games in 33 days starting Feb 20, 2026
- Royals will face Team Cuba on March 3, 2026, a day before the WBC
- Club closes Cactus League March 21 then plays two exhibition games against Rangers
The Kansas City Royals will soon be turning their attention to spring training. And when they head to Surprise, Arizona in early February, a full slate of exhibition games will be waiting.
On Wednesday, the Royals announced their expanded spring training schedule ahead of the 2026 Major League Baseball season. The club will play 32 games in 33 days during Cactus League action.
The Royals face the Texas Rangers on Feb. 20, 2026 at Surprise Stadium to begin their spring training schedule. KC will be the road team in a matchup of teams that share the venue.
From there, the Royals will play a host of MLB teams on consecutive days. The list includes the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Angels, among others.
In March, the Royals will play the Dodgers — the defending World Series champions — twice, on March 6 and March 17. There will also be two split-squad dates and a spring breakout game on March 20.
KC’s spring training schedule also includes a new wrinkle: The Royals will play an exhibition game against Team Cuba on March 3. That game will be played just ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which begins the following day.
The Royals will finish Cactus League play March 21. Then they will travel to Arlington, Texas to play two additional exhibition games against the Rangers at Globe Life Field (March 23-24).
The Royals’ 2026 regular season begin March 26 against the Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta. That three-game series precedes the Royals’ home opener at Kauffman Stadium on March 30 against the Minnesota Twins.
Here is a look at the Royals full spring training schedule for 2026:
KC Royals’ 2026 spring training schedule
Home games at Surprise Stadium, Surprise, Arizona:
February 20: @ Texas Rangers
February 21: San Diego Padres
February 22: @ Milwaukee Brewers
February 23: Chicago Cubs
February 24: @ Cincinnati Reds
February 25: Seattle Mariners
February 26: @ Arizona Diamondbacks
February 27: Athletics
February 28: @ Colorado Rockies
March 1: Milwaukee Brewers
March 2: @ Los Angeles Angels
March 3: Team Cuba
March 4: IDLE
March 5: Texas Rangers
March 6: @ Los Angeles Dodgers
March 7: Cincinnati Reds
March 8: @ Chicago White Sox
March 9: Cleveland Guardians
March 10: @ Seattle Mariners
March 11: @ Chicago Cubs | San Francisco Giants (Split Squad)
March 12: @ San Diego Padres
March 13: Arizona Diamondbacks
March 14: @ Athletics
March 15: Chicago White Sox
March 16: IDLE
March 17: Los Angeles Dodgers
March 18: @ Texas Rangers
March 19: @ Cleveland Guardians | Los Angeles Angels (Split Squad)
March 20: @ San Francisco Giants | *Texas Rangers (Spring Breakout Game)
March 21: Colorado Rockies
March 22: IDLE
March 23: Texas Rangers (Exhibition at Globe Life Field)
March 24: Texas Rangers (Exhibition at Globe Life Field)
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 2:27 PM.
