Game times set for full 30-team schedule
Major League Baseball on Thursday announced the game times for its master 2021 regular-season schedule, which will begin with all 30 Major League Clubs playing on Opening Day on Thursday, April 1, 2021. The 2021 season will mark the fourth consecutive season in which all 30 Clubs are scheduled to play on traditional Opening Day (including 2020¡¯s original regular season schedule), and Opening Day of the 2021 campaign could also become the first season since 1968 in which every team across the Majors plays their first game of the season on the same day.
ESPN will provide extensive Opening Day coverage that begins with George Springer making his Toronto Blue Jays debut against the host New York Yankees (1:05 p.m. ET), followed by the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers visiting their NL West-rival Colorado Rockies (4:10 p.m. ET/1:10 pm. PT). Francisco Lindor will make his New York Mets debut against the host Washington Nationals (7:09 p.m. ET), and ESPN¡¯s quadrupleheader will conclude with the 2020 AL MVP Jos¨¦ Abreu and the Chicago White Sox visiting Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels (10:05 p.m. ET/7:05 p.m. PT). ESPN will broadcast an additional seven games during the first week of the season following traditional Opening Day, including its season premiere of ¡°Sunday Night Baseball¡± on Sunday, April 4 featuring the Angels and White Sox (8:37 p.m. ET/5:37 p.m. PT).
FOX will begin its 2021 national coverage on Saturday, April 3 when Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies host 2020 NL MVP Freddie Freeman and the Atlanta Braves at 4:05 p.m. (ET) on FS1, followed by the Dodgers at Colorado at 8:10 p.m. (ET)/5:10 p.m. (PT) on FS1. MLB on TBS live game coverage will return on Sunday, June 20 and will continue each Sunday through the end of the regular season.
MLB Network will have extensive coverage of Opening Day on Thursday, April 1, featuring its signature live look-ins at games in progress on MLB Tonight starting at 1:00 p.m. (ET). MLB Network¡¯s comprehensive regular-season studio programming lineup will return on Friday, April 2nd with MLB Central, High Heat with Christopher Russo, The Rundown, MLB Now, Intentional Talk, MLB Tonight and Quick Pitch featuring previews, highlights, analysis and interviews.
The final day of the 2021 regular season, which features 12 divisional matchups, is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 3. For the seventh consecutive year, all games played on the final scheduled day of the regular season will begin at 3:00 p.m. (ET), with potential Postseason ramifications at stake.
Among the other highlights of the 2021 regular season:
? In a rematch of the 2020 National League Championship Series, the Dodgers will visit the Braves for a three-game set beginning on Friday, June 4 at 7:20 p.m. (ET). The Clubs will meet again in Los Angeles for a three-game series beginning on Monday, Aug. 30 at 10:10 p.m. (ET)/7:10 p.m. (PT).
? Following their thrilling seven-game American League Championship Series, the AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays will host the Houston Astros for a three-game series beginning on Friday, April 30th at 7:10 p.m. (ET). The Clubs will square off in Houston for three games beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 8:10 p.m. (ET)/7:10 p.m. (CT).
? 2021 Opening Day includes a pair of Interleague matchups between the Miami Marlins and Rays at 4:10 p.m. (ET) at Marlins Park in Miami, and the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants at 10:10 p.m. (ET)/7:10 p.m. (PT) at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
? The Dodgers host the Rockies at Dodger Stadium at 10:10 p.m. (ET)/7:10 p.m. (PT) on Thursday, April 15, which is Jackie Robinson Day throughout Major League Baseball.
¡°MLB at Field of Dreams presented by GEICO¡± between the Chicago White Sox and Yankees on Thursday, Aug. 12 in Dyersville, Iowa at 7:15 p.m. (ET)/6:15 p.m. (CT) on FOX. Part of the GEICO Summer Series, the historic game will be the first Major League game ever played in Iowa.
? The fourth Little League Classic presented by GEICO on Sunday, Aug. 22, featuring the host Indians and the Angels at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa., home of the Little League World Series (7:10 p.m. ET).
? The 2021 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, to be hosted by the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, is scheduled for Tuesday, July 13 on FOX.
? The St. Louis Cardinals will welcome the Rockies to St. Louis for a three-game set beginning on Friday, May 7 at 7:15 p.m. (ET)/8:15 p.m. (CT) as Nolan Arenado squares off against his former Club for the first time. Arenado will make his return to Colorado for a four-game series beginning on Thursday, July 1st at 9:40 p.m. (ET)/6:40 p.m. (PT).
? The Blue Jays will visit the Astros for a three-game set beginning on Friday, May 7 at 8:10 p.m. (ET)/7:10 p.m. (CT) as George Springer returns to Minute Maid Park for the first time.
? The Yankees will host their AL East-rival Boston Red Sox in the only Major League game played on Thursday, July 15, following the All-Star break at 7:08 p.m. (ET).
? The Mets will host the Yankees at Citi Field from Sept. 10-12, marking the first time the New York franchises will play each other on Sept. 11 (7:40 p.m. ET on FOX) as MLB observes its 20th anniversary.
Please visit www.MLB.com for the complete 2021 American League and National League regular season schedules with game times.