Spring is here and it’s time for Major League Baseball. Here’s what you need to know about MLB’s Opening Day 2017.
MLB Opening Day 2017 has evolved into a two-day event that has all 30 teams in action over the course of two days. It’s like a national holiday for baseball fans. There is so much to look forward this season now that the Cubs have broken the curse and the World Baseball Classic has injected some much needed energy into the sport.
The fun begins on Sunday, April 2. Three games kick off the Opening Day action on Sunday, and these three games are particularly special. The World Series Champion Cubs are playing division rival St. Louis Cardinals in the primetime game of the day as the Cubs start work to defend their title. That game starts at 8:30pm ET.
The other two games of the day feature the New York Yankees at the Tampa Bay Rays (1pm ET) and the San Francisco Giants at the Arizona Diamondbacks (4pm ET). These two games are special because the 2017 season marks the twenty-year anniversary of the MLB expansion that brought the Rays and Diamondbacks to the league.
Monday sees the rest of the teams in action as they kick off their 2017 campaigns throughout the day. ESPN will be home to a majority of the Opening Day coverage along with local cable providers.
Some of the big Opening Day games to watch for are Indians at Rangers and Blue Jays at Orioles. These teams last saw each other in the 2016 postseason and there’s sure to be some unfinished business on the table.
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This season may just be one of the most highly anticipated MLB seasons in recent memory. Fans want to see if the Cubs can pull off back to back wins, and there is still a lot of excitement after Team USA’s historic win in the World Baseball Classic. Some teams are going through rebuilding while others are looking to reach the postseason, and Opening Day is the one moment when every fan can look to the fall with hope.