On Monday, MLB announced the full 60-game schedule for its 30 teams in this abbreviated 2020 season. Each team will only play games against its own division and the same division in the opposite league (AL East plays NL East, etc), with 40 games against their own division (ten against each team) and 20 against teams from the opposite division (six against the “natural rival” in the opposite division, four against two teams, and three against the final two teams).
The season starts on the evening of Thursday, July 23rd with an ESPN doubleheader. The Nationals host the Yankees in the early game, starting at 7 PM ET, while the Giants visit the Dodgers in the late game, starting at 10 PM ET.
Are you ready? #MLBTonight pic.twitter.com/DDEjT2DRwC
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 6, 2020
You’d have to imagine that Matt Vasgersian and Alex Rodriguez, ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball team, would be calling Yankees-Nationals. As for the late game, I’m getting a big Dave Flemming vibe from that one.
The other 26 teams (along with a second Giants-Dodgers game) open on Friday, July 24th in a more traditional (ish) Opening Day. ESPN has a tripleheader of Friday games, including Braves-Mets (4 PM), Brewers-Cubs (7 PM), and Angels-Athletics (10 PM). I’m also getting a big Jon Sciambi and Chipper Jones (ESPN’s new main Wednesday Night Baseball crew) vibe from Mets-Braves.
MLB also announced the 2020 Field of Dreams game, originally scheduled to pit the White Sox against the Yankees, will go on. The August 13th game, taking place in Iowa, will now match up the Cardinals against the White Sox, with the Thursday night game airing on Fox.
"Is This Heaven? No, It's Iowa."
The @MLB Field of Dreams game between the @Cardinals and @whitesox is set for August 13 on FOX! pic.twitter.com/p1P4Wv78Qv
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 6, 2020
ESPN also released their Sunday Night Baseball schedule, which includes a doubleheader in the first weekend of the season.
- July 26th: Braves-Mets/Giants-Dodgers (doubleheader)
- August 2nd: Red Sox-Yankees
- August 9th: Cubs-Cardinals
- August 16th: Yankees-Red Sox
- August 23rd: Phillies-Braves
- August 30th: Braves-Phillies
- September 6th: Cardinals-Cubs
- September 13th: TBA
- September 20th: TBA
And Fox released their national schedule of games, which includes both Thursday and Saturday windows. All but one (which is noted) of these games will air on Fox.
- Saturday, July 25
- Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs 1:00 PM ET
- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 4:00 PM ET
- New York Yankees at Washington Nationals 7:00 PM ET
- Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres 9:00 PM ET (FS1)
- Thursday, July 30
- Boston Red Sox at New York Mets OR Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins 7:00 PM ET
- Saturday, August 1
- Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees OR Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels 7:00 PM ET
- Thursday, August 6
- Chicago Cubs at Kansas City Royals OR Houston Astros at Arizona Diamondbacks 7:00 PM ET
- Thursday, August 13
- St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago White Sox 7:00 PM ET
- Saturday, August 15
- Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees OR Oakland Athletics at San Francisco Giants 7:00 PM ET
- Thursday, August 27
- Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals OR Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers 7:00 PM ET
- Saturday, August 29
- Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies OR Cleveland Indians at St. Louis Cardinals 1:00 PM ET
- Saturday, September 12
- Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers OR Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins 8:00 PM ET
- Saturday, September 19
- Atlanta Braves at New York Mets OR Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels 7:00 PM ET
- Saturday, September 26
- New York Mets at Washington Nationals OR Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals 7:00 PM ET
As for Turner, their first game of the year will be Yankees-Nationals on July 26th, airing at 1 PM on TBS.
Other nationally televised games, including more on ESPN, FS1, TBS, and MLB Network, will be announced at a later date.