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Astros Spring Training Schedule Includes Exhibition with WBC Team

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Scott Roche | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 9:00 AM ET

A busy offseason is underway for the Houston Astros with some big decisions looming. The biggest question is what happens with left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez in free agency. Does he return to the Astros, or does he leave for a new team?

Where he ends up remains to be seen, but whether he's still with Houston or not, Major League Baseball announced the Astros' 2026 spring training schedule. It will be an important spring training for Houston, which will be looking for a bounce-back season next year after coming up short of an American League playoff berth in 2025.

It was a late-season collapse the Astros went through that not only allowed the Seattle Mariners to catch them and win the American League West Division, but also allowed the Detroit Tigers, who collapsed big-time in September, still stay ahead of them in the race for the final postseason berth on the final weekend of the regular season.

Spring training might seem long for the fans, but it's a vital month for the team as they must evaluate the talent they have, returning and new players. It also gives manager Joe Espada a chance to figure out his rotation and lineup. He will do it with a slew of spring training games beginning in February.

Astros 2026 Spring Training Schedule

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Houston will be returning to West Palm Beach, Florida, for 32 games. They will open with the Washington Nationals on the road before their first home game against the St. Louis Cardinals. There will be two split-squad games for the Astros on February 26 against the New York Mets and the Cardinals, then on March 19 against the Mets again and the Florida Marlins.

See you in West Palm Beach, Astros fans!

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— Houston Astros (@astros) November 5, 2025

It is a schedule in Florida that will see the Astros play the Marlins seven times, the Mets, Cardinals, and Nationals six times. They will also play the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles twice, along with one game on March 3 against Venezuela, before the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

They will close out their spring training schedule with two games against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys on March 23 and 24. Houston will open the season on March 26 against the Los Angeles Angels for four games at home before the Boston Red Sox come in for three.

Before the regular season begins, the Astros will have a busy month in Florida. It will be imperative that Houston gets through the spring as healthy as possible before embarking on a long 162-game season.