Pirates' start to the 2027 season will be the earliest in team history
The Pittsburgh Pirates will begin the 2027 season at home with a three-game series against the Athletics, but the March 25 start is the earliest in the team's history.
It's also the first time since the 2016 season that the Pirates will begin the season at PNC Park.
However, the Pirates won't be at home long to start the 2027 season. After playing a three-game set against the Athletics, they'll immediately hit the road to take on the Cincinnati Reds on March 29.
Big names coming to PNC Park in 2027
The Pirates will welcome several big-name teams to PNC Park in the 2027 season.
During a home stand in April, the team will welcome the New York Yankees.
A few months later, in July, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani will be at PNC Park.
Familiar foes will also be on the North Shore next season, including the Chicago Cubs in April, the Philadelphia Phillies in June, and the St. Louis Cardinals in September.
You can find the full 2027 Pirates' schedule here.
When will the Pirates' promotional schedule be released?
If you're looking for a promotional schedule that includes giveaways, fireworks, and theme nights for the 2027 season, you will have to wait a little bit longer.
Normally, the Pirates release their promotional schedule in December.
For the 2026 schedule, the Pirates released the promotional calendar in early December.
Will there be a lockout in the 2027 MLB season?
According to CBS Sports, the collective bargaining agreement between the MLB and the MLBPA is set to expire at the end of the 2027 season, and while MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred touted progress in negotiations, the main disagreement comes over a salary cap.
MLB is the only North American professional sports league not to have a cap on player spending.
Despite disagreements on the current collective bargaining agreement, the regular season did start on time in 2022, but a 99-day lockout led to an abbreviated Spring Training and a condensed regular season calendar.
In 1994-95, the league did lose games during a work stoppage, and that was the last time that MLB owners pushed for a salary cap.