Four months after the coronavirus pandemic forced MLB to shut down, the 2020 regular season will finally begin on Thursday with Opening Day. Following bitter negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA, the 2020 season was shortened to just 60 games, with a standard 10-team playoff to be held afterward. All games will be held in empty stadiums without fans, which means no one will be able to boo the Houston Astros.
The defending World Series champions will host the first regular-season game of the year, with ace Max Scherzer facing off against new Yankees star Gerrit Cole. There are just two games on the schedule for Thursday, but all 26 other teams will be in action on Friday.
New York Yankees at Washington Nationals (4:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Pitching matchup: Gerrit Cole (NYY) vs. Max Scherzer (WSH)
San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Pitching matchup: Johnny Cueto (SF) vs. Clayton Kershaw (LAD)
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