Major League Baseball 2020: Where to watch, schedule, teams and all you need to know about the new game season
Baseball is back. After months of unsuccessful negotiations with the players, Major League Baseball has now released the schedule of the 2020 season. The 2020 MLB season was shortened this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic in different parts of the world.
The original schedule of the 162 games was very different from the new one. It was scheduled to start on March 26. However, MLB announced on March 12 that the remaining spring training games were canceled due to Covid-19 precautions and health measures. They also announced that the season will be delayed by two weeks and later said that it had been postponed indefinitely. The decision came after the recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) to forbid events of more than 50 people for a period of eight weeks.
Back in 2001, MLB was put on hold due to the September 11 attacks in the US and this was the first time since that year that the MLB games have been put on hold. Now, the sport is set to return with a 60-game season mandated by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and the full schedule is out.
Here are all the details you need to know about baseball's shortened upcoming season.
When does it start?
When does the MLB season start? The opening day will be July 23 with a prime-time doubleheader. There will be two games on day one. The first one will be New York Yankees vs Washington Nationals, which will air at 7 pm ET (4 pm PT). The other will be San Francisco Giants against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 10 pm ET (7 pm PT). The rest of the league will begin on Friday, July 24, starting with the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets at 4.10 pm ET (1.10 pm PT).
When will it end?
The season will end on September 27 and the post-season tournament is scheduled for September 29. The MLB World Series will commence from October 20 and a potential Game 7 would be played on October 28.
How many games this season?
This is going to be a 60-game regular season. The players association proposed as many as 114 games whereas the league proposed as few as 50. However, the number 60 was chosen for the 2020 season.
When will the games be played?
The games will be played in each of the 30 teams' respective home cities, except the Toronto Blue Jays since it is the only MLB team based outside of the US. It hasn't been confirmed whether they will be able to play their 30 home games in Canada or not.
Can fans watch?
The games will be played in home ballparks and fans will not be permitted in the stands for the 2020 NBC match.
Where can you watch from home?
The entire schedule will be aired on NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC Sports Philadelphia+ and NBC 10.
How much will the players get paid?
Players will surely get their full salaries for the 60 game season. The league advanced some of the players with $170M as a part of the agreement on March 26, which means some players who signed the agreement have already been paid for the season.