The New York Yankees, with superstar Aaron Judge, kick off the 2020 MLB season on Thursday.
Elsa / Getty Images
After the coronavirus He postponed the start of the baseball season and closed almost everything else, the sport returns for 2020 with a 60-game season ordered by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. Negotiations between the league and the MLB Players Association have not been pretty, with weeks of back-and-forth proposals developing in the media without reaching a resolution before a season was finally imposed. Even now, a handful of players, including Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals and Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants, have announced they will be left out of the shortened season.
But after all the debate and uncertainty, baseball starts again tonight. This is how you can see the first two games and the rest of the abbreviated 2020 season.
What is the MLB 2020 schedule?
The regular season will begin on Thursday, July 23 with a double primetime title. In the first game, the New York Yankees visit the defending National Champions starting at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT). The second game pits the San Francisco Giants against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET).
Both games will be broadcast on ESPN.
The rest of the league will begin playing on Friday, July 24 on a tight roster, starting with the Atlanta Braves in the New York Mets at 4:10 p.m. ET (1:10 p.m. PT).
CBS Sports has a breakdown of some of the highlights and dates to look forward to this season.
How can I watch the MLB 2020 season on cable TV?
Beyond the first two games on ESPN, expect to see regular-season baseball in 2020 the same way it would have in recent years. That means national networks that carry MLB games in normal seasons, such as Fox, Fox Sports 1, TBS, MLB Network, and ESPN, will air games in 2020.
You will be able to watch on your local regional sports networks, such as local Fox Sports channels, the YES Network (New York Yankees), NESN (Boston Red Sox) or SportsNet LA (Los Angeles Dodgers).
by cable tv cable cutters, many of the national channels are offered in five of the main live TV streaming services. You will want to check with each service to see if its regional sports network is offered.
To get all of the national baseball channels, you’ll need the Sling’s Blue / Orange package which costs $ 45 per month, plus the Sports Extra add-on for an additional $ 10 per month to get MLB Network. Read our Sling TV review.
YouTube TV costs $ 65 a month and includes all major national baseball channels. Depending on your team and area, you may also have your regional sports network. Read our YouTube TV review.
Hulu with live TV costs $ 55 per month and includes most major national baseball channels, including ESPN, Fox, and TBS. While some areas may also obtain regional sports networks, the service does not have an MLB Network. Read our Hulu review with live TV.
The AT&T TV Now $ 55 / mo Basic Pack Plus includes ESPN, Fox, FS1 and TBS, but will need to increase the $ 80 / mo Max package for regional sports channels and potentially the $ 110 / mo package option if you also want MLB Network. Read our AT&T TV Now review.
FuboTV includes Fox, ESPN, FS1, and TBS in its standard $ 55 per month plan (which jumps to $ 60 on August 1), as well as some local regional sports networks, though those looking for the MLB Network should look elsewhere. Note: ESPN is not currently offered, but will be available sometime this summer, says FuboTV. Read our FuboTV review.
In addition to the above services, there is MLB.TV, MLB’s paid streaming service. It will be available to stream games off the market with the league charging $ 60 for the entire shortened season.
T-Mobile and Sprint users will be able to get a free season-long subscription to MLB.TV starting July 21 as part of the T-Mobile Tuesdays benefits program. Those wishing to take advantage of the offer have until Tuesday, August 4 at 1:59 am PT (4:59 am ET) to sign up.
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Where will the games be played?
Wrigley Field will host the Cubs games this year.
Timothy Hiatt / Getty Images
Regular season games will take place in each of the home cities of the respective 30 teams, with the exception of the Toronto Blue Jays, the only MLB team based outside of the US.
On July 18, the Blue Jays announced that they would not play home games in Canada as scheduled. It is still unclear exactly where the club will be set for the season, and it may end without having a “home” stadium at all.
All baseball games, regardless of city, will be played without fans.
Which teams will play each other?
The Subway series is slated to continue, even with the season shortened.
Rich Schultz / Getty Images
To keep the trip to a minimum, teams will play against those in their closest geographic areas, so expect primarily game within the interleague division limited only to those in the opposing league division (AL East vs. NL East, AL Central vs. NL Central, AL West vs. NL West).
Therefore, the Nationals, as CBS Sports points out in their example, will only play against rival teams from the Eastern Division of the National League with interleague games against teams from the Eastern Division of the American League. This means we won’t see the beleaguered Houston Astros visiting the Yankees until the postseason, potentially, but those looking for the trash-hitting ‘Stros can get some support can wait for their games against the Dodgers in a 2017 World Series rematch. The first confrontation between the two teams will be in Houston on July 28 and 29.
Are there changes to additional entries?
In an attempt to ensure games don’t continue for long, the extra-inning game will start with a runner-up for the batting team second, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. This would continue every half inning until there is a winner.
All extra inning games will start with a runner at second base starting on 10.
– Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 24, 2020
Is there a DH in the National League?
The pitcher’s place in the batting order will become a designated hitter, with MLB adopting a universal DH for the 2020 season.
What about the expanded playoffs?
While there was talk of expansion, the playoffs for the 2020 season will remain at 10 teams.
Who does not play?
Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels bats during a spring training game.
Masterpress / Getty Images
Several players have already said they will not play in the shortened season. These are some of the current players who have announced they will be left out:
- Mike Leake (Arizona Diamondbacks)
- Joe Ross (Washington Nationals)
- Ian Desmond (Colorado Rockies)
- Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals)
- David Price (Los Angeles Dodgers)
- Welington Castillo (Washington Nationals)
- Felix Hernández (Atlanta Braves)
- Nick Markakis (Atlanta Braves)
- Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants)
- Michael Kopech (Chicago White Sox)
- Héctor Noesí (Pittsburgh Pirates)
- Jordan Hicks (St. Louis Cardinals)
Other players, like Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout, have indicated that they can take time to spend with their families. Trout and his wife Jessica are expecting their first child in August, but he has appeared in preseason games.
The 21-year-old Nationals star Juan Soto will miss the opening night after testing positive for COVID-19, but it is unclear how much more time will be lost.
Washington Nationals star Juan Soto tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss tonight’s first game of the season against the New York Yankees, sources told ESPN.
– Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 23, 2020
