Pitchers and catchers are reporting all across Arizona and Florida this week, and we’re finally getting past a long winter and into Spring Training. Games don’t start for another two weeks, but thankfully, MLB Network is going to have us covered this spring like never before.

During Spring Training, MLB Network will be airing more than 200 games, including at least one live game each day from March 3rd to April 4th. Every MLB club is (obviously) represented in the 200 game schedule, and all teams are also represented in the slate of 73 live games. As usual with MLB Network game telecasts, these will be local simulcasts that *are* subject to local blackouts in the home market of the RSN producing the game.

The most popular teams airing on MLB Network aren’t much of a surprise, and are generally large market team or teams with a significant ownership stake in their RSN. The Yankees and Dodgers will each have a whopping 22 games on MLB Network, the Angels appear 21 times, the Phillies and Mets will be on 18 times, and the Mariners will be on 17 times. All of those teams except the Angels have a substantial ownership stake in their RSN. In contrast, the Marlins and Astros only appear eight times each, the fewest times of any teams in the league.

Now obviously, you’d expect MLB Network to show this kind of devotion to the sport this spring. It *is* MLB Network, after all. But fans can expect to see between three and eight games *per day*, with at least one of those being live, for a month in March rolling into early April. That’s just awesome.

[MLB Network]

About Joe Lucia

I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.

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