After a year of isolation and stay-at-home orders, the thought of going to a ball game is more enticing than ever. And by all indications, many people will once again be able to do so this year. That makes the start of the 2021 Major League Baseball season more exciting than ever.
Spring training is over, and first pitches are being thrown across the country Thursday. The Los Angeles Dodgers will defend their World Series title against the Colorado Rockies, just one of 14 games being played. And fans will be in the stands at almost every one of them (well, except in Washington, DC, where the Nationals vs. The Mets was postponed after a player on the Nats tested positive).
That’s a big step forward from 2020, when there was no in-person attendance during the regular season and the league played just 60 games.
If you’re not lucky enough to attend a game in person on Thursday, but are still ready to welcome the boys of summer back, you’ve got lots of options— and lots of ways to watch.
When does Major League Baseball begin its 2021 season?
Opening day is Thursday, April 1. The first game, which features the Toronto Blue Jays facing off against the New York Yankees, airs at 1:05 p.m. ET.
Minor league teams, by the way, will begin playing in early May.
What’s the schedule for MLB opening day?
Here’s who’s playing, as well as when and where you can watch. Note: Not all games will be broadcast.
Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees, 1:05 p.m. ET on YES, fuboTV
Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers, 1:10 p.m. ET
Minnesota Twins at Milwaukee Brewers, 2:10 p.m. ET on Fox Sports Wisconsin and Fox Sports North
Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox, 2:10 p.m. ET on fuboTV (regionally) and Mid-Atlantic Sports Network
Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m. ET on fuboTV (regionally) and Marquee Sports Network
Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies, 3:05 p.m. ET on fuboTV (regionally) and Fox Sports South
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres, 4:10 p.m. ET on Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports San Diego, and Fox Deportes San Diego
Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals, 4:10 p.m. ET on Fox Sports Kansas City and Fox Sports Southwest
Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies, 4:10 p.m. ET on fuboTV, SportsNet LA, and SportsNet Rocky Mountains.
St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds, 4:10 p.m. ET on Fox Sports Ohio and Fox Sports Midwest
Tampa Bay Rays at Miami Marlins, 4:10 p.m. ET on Fox Sports Florida
New York Mets at Washington Nationals, Game postponed because of COVID-19 issues
Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels, 10:05 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, Fox Sports West, and fuboTV
Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics, 10:07 p.m. ET on fuboTV (regionally) and NBC Sports Bay Area
San Francisco Giants at Seattle Mariners, 10:10 p.m., fuboTV (regionally) and Root Sports NW
Will fans be allowed to attend MLB games in person?
After a year without fans, most major league teams will allow at least limited attendance on opening day (and beyond), though some still have not released their capacity limits. (This list is regularly updated with the most recent numbers.)
Figures vary from park to park, but many teams seem to be planning for 20% to 30% capacity at the start of the season, with hopes to increase that as the summer goes on and the COVID-19 numbers hopefully go down.
How can I watch MLB games for free?
The best way to watch any sort of network programming for free on a big screen is with a good HD antenna. But it won’t help on MLB’s opening day. Fox won’t begin its coverage of Major League Baseball games until Saturday, April 3 (except on its regional sports channels). To ensure you’re getting the most reliable signal, you’ll want to test the antenna in multiple locations in your home. (ESPN and TBS will carry games regularly later this year, but you’ll need to watch those online if you don’t have a cable subscription to log in.)
Can I watch MLB opening day games online?
You can, and there are plenty of options:
Fubo TV
This sports-focused cord-cutting service is your best bet for opening day action. There’s a seven-day free trial, followed by monthly charges of $65 to $80, depending on the channels you choose.
FoxSportsGo
If your team airs its games on regional Fox Sports channels, the FoxSportsGo website or app lets you watch online or via casting to your TV. (Note that you will need to sign in with your TV provider’s information.)
Sling TV
Dish Network’s Sling is one of the OG cord-cutter options. It has an extensive selection of ESPN options in its lower-tiered Orange plan. That will run you $35 per month, and you’ll have access to more sports channels by subscribing to Sling’s Blue plan, which bumps the cost to $50 per month. You’ll have a three-day free trial first.
AT&T TV
Formerly known as DirecTV Now and AT&T TVNow, AT&T’s streaming service will run you $70 per month and up. There is no longer a free trial option.
Hulu with Live TV
You can try the service free for a week. Once that’s up, you’ll pay $65 per month.
YouTube TV
After a two-week trial, you can expect monthly charges of $65.
Locast.org
This free service lets you watch local broadcast channels with no monthly fees or contracts. The hiccup: It services only part of the country.
Does Major League Baseball offer any service for me to watch the game I want?
Yep. MLB.TV will offer extensive coverage of opening day, airing 12 games.
There’s a seven-day free trial, after which you’ll pay $24.99 per month or $129.99 (for the season) to stream every team’s out-of-market games live or on demand. If you just want to follow a single team, you can do so for $110.