Baseball Is Officially Back! How to Watch MLB Opening Day 2021

Entertainment Sports Baseball Is Officially Back! How to Watch MLB Opening Day 2021 The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays are scheduled to kick off the first game on ESPN By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Instagram Twitter Nicholas Rice is an Associate Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. Nicholas has previous work experience with Billboard, POPSUGAR, Bustle and Elite Daily. When not working, Nicholas can be found playing with his 5 dogs, listening to pop music or eating mozzarella sticks. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 1, 2021 12:46 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Abbie Parr/Getty Baseball is back! On Thursday, Major League Baseball (MLB) is making its return months after the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2020 World Series back in October. The traditional 162-game season is set to resume this year after a revised schedule was implemented amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Here’s everything baseball fans need to know about watching the MLB Opening Day from home. Joe Biden Will Not Throw First Pitch at Washington National’s Home Opener Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty When does it start? The baseball festivities began at 1:05 p.m. EST and conclude with three West Coast games starting just after 10 p.m. EST, according to the MLB. The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays are scheduled to kick Opening Day off, with the first game on ESPN. Which teams are playing? All 30 MLB teams were originally scheduled to play on Opening Day, however, the matchup between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles has been postponed until Friday. On Thursday morning, the Red Sox announced that the game was postponed due to intermittent rain in the area. “The decision to postpone our first game of the season was not made lightly,” Red Sox President Sam Kennedy said in a statement, per the Boston Globe. “The built-in off day was created for just this purpose and tomorrow’s forecast for sunshine also factored into our decision.” “We have been eager to have fans back at Fenway Park for the first time in 18 months and look forward to welcoming everyone back tomorrow under brighter and drier conditions,” Kennedy added. The New York Mets and the Washington Nationals game was also postponed, reportedly due to concerns about coronavirus, the Washington Post said. What are the matchups? After the Yankees begin their game against the Blue Jays, various other teams will face off throughout the day, including the Dodgers against the Colorado Rockies. The Atlanta Braves will go up against the Philadelphia Phillies, the St. Louis Cardinals against the Cincinnati Reds, and the Houston Astros against the Oakland A’s. For a full list of each team’s scheduled game, visit the MLB’s Opening Day guide. Will fans be in the stands? This baseball season will feature the return of in-person fans. According to CBS Sports, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement that fans will be allowed in the stands, however, the rules won’t be the same at each ballpark. The outlet crafted a handy guide for fans to see the different attendance restrictions and guidelines for each stadium. How to watch? Most games will be available to watch on ESPN or via the ESPN livestream through the “watch live” section on the ESPN mobile app or the ESPN website. Another option to watch is through MLB.TV, a streaming service that features every game live. The service costs $130 for the season, which includes the playoffs and the World Series.