Guardians and Mariners Face Off in Sunday Night Baseball Debut

AL division winners from 2025 meet in highly anticipated matchup

Mar. 29, 2026 at 3:18am

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The 2026 debut of Sunday Night Baseball on NBC and Peacock will feature a matchup between the Cleveland Guardians and the Seattle Mariners, both division winners in 2025. The game will showcase stars like Jose Ramirez, Cal Raleigh, and Brendan Donovan, and will also feature a sibling rivalry between Guardians catcher Bo Naylor and Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor.

Why it matters

This early-season matchup between two of the American League's top teams from 2025 is an exciting way to kick off the Sunday Night Baseball schedule. Both teams are looking to build on their success from last year and make a deep playoff run, and this game will give fans a glimpse of how they stack up against each other.

The details

The Guardians will send Slade Cecconi to the mound, while the Mariners will counter with Emerson Hancock. Both teams made key offseason moves, with the Mariners acquiring All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suarez and first baseman Josh Naylor, and the Guardians re-signing outfielder Steven Kwan. The game will also feature a matchup of brothers, with Guardians catcher Bo Naylor facing off against his older brother, Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor.

  • The game will take place on Sunday, March 29, 2026.
  • First pitch is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. ET.

The players

Jose Ramirez

A seven-time All-Star third baseman for the Cleveland Guardians, Ramirez is entering his 14th season with the team and recently signed a seven-year, $175 million extension.

Cal Raleigh

The Seattle Mariners' star catcher, Raleigh set an MLB record for home runs by a catcher with 60 last season.

Brendan Donovan

The versatile Mariners infielder/outfielder was named an All-Star for the first time last season after being acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bo Naylor

The Guardians' starting catcher, Bo Naylor will face off against his older brother, Josh Naylor, who plays first base for the Mariners.

Josh Naylor

The Mariners' starting first baseman, Josh Naylor will play against his younger brother, Bo, who is the Guardians' catcher.

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What they’re saying

“We're excited to kick off the Sunday Night Baseball schedule with this matchup between two of the AL's top teams. It should be a great early-season test for both clubs.”

— Jason Benetti, Play-by-play announcer

“It's going to be a lot of fun to face my brother on the big stage. We've been playing against each other our whole lives, but this will be the first time it's happened in the majors.”

— Bo Naylor, Guardians catcher

What’s next

The Guardians and Mariners will meet again later in the season, with a three-game series scheduled for July 18-20 in Cleveland.

The takeaway

This early-season matchup between two of the American League's top teams from 2025 should provide an exciting start to the Sunday Night Baseball schedule. With stars like Ramirez, Raleigh, and Donovan, as well as the added sibling rivalry between the Naylor brothers, this game has the potential to be a preview of a potential playoff matchup down the road.