Major League Baseball was supposed to launch its 2020 season on March 26. The spread of the novel coronavirus has instead pushed Opening Day back to an indeterminable future date. That does not mean, however, that fans will be without baseball to watch. Rather, MLB is using the full extent of its broadcasting platform to bring some joy to each fan base.
On Thursday, MLB will present "Opening Day at Home," a venture that will see the league air 30 games (one win per team) across various mediums, such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. The league's intent is to promote a sense of "community and unity" on what was supposed to be a grand day, while also "underscoring the importance of staying home and staying healthy," per a league-issued release.
Here's a look at the Thursday's full schedule, along with where each game can be found:
Do note that all games will be streaming on MLB.com, and that other MLB content will be available through various means. ESPN2 will broadcast classic Home Run Derby contests all day; FS1 will show a pair of World Series Game 7s: the 2016 tilt between the Cubs and Cleveland, and the 2001 matchup that pitted the Yankees against the Diamondbacks; and MLB Network will show Derek Jeter's first Opening Day as part of a marathon that will culminate with a re-airing of Tuffy Rhodes' three-homer day for the Cubs in 1994
MLB Network will also have the best player in the game, Mike Trout, on MLB Tonight (noon eastern) and will debut this spot:
Fans can also access all games from the 2018 and 2019 regular seasons for free through MLB.tv, and there are a variety of classic games that can be streamed for free on YouTube.
In other words, while there might not be any new, live baseball going on Thursday, there's still going to be plenty of choices for seamheads seeking an escape.
