Finally after weeks of delays and negotations, the Major League Baseball season is starting up again! It will be shorter, of course, since it's limited to just 60 games, but at least there will be some live action to watch. With only 60 games compared to a normal 162-game season, every game is going to be important. Each win or loss could mean something by the end of the season.
There are some other restrictions in place, too. For example, teams will only play other teams that are either in their division or in their corresponding division in the other league. The New York Yankees versus the defending-champion Washington Nationals is a fantastic matchup to kick off the season, and it still manages to follow those rules since the Yankees are AL East and the Nationals are NL East.
One of the more unique changes to this season will be a universal designated hitter put in place as part of the health and safety protocols. While designated hitters have been a part of baseball for a long time, the National League has never used them. The Opening Day game will be the first time we see one in an NL park.
You won't be able to watch these games in person, at least not right away, so you'll need to know all the best ways to watch online.
Nationals vs. Yankees: Where and when?
The game will take place on July 23 at 7 p.m. Eastern. It will be played at Nationals Park in Washington D.C., but there is no in-person attendance so the stadium will be mostly empty. The Yankees actually play their first three games against the Nationals at Nationals Park, in fact, with the other two taking place July 25 and July 26.
How to watch the MLB 2020 season from anywhere
When it comes to watching MLB games, there is no single great option that works for everyone. Below, we've outlined some of the streaming services you can try to keep up on all the action, but a VPN is one of the most useful ways to watch all the games, even for those living within the U.S. There are tons of blackouts and restrictions in place for these games, which is just a big pain.
That's where using one of thebest VPN services (Virtual Private Network) can be a lifesaver. They allow you to virtually change the ISP of your laptop, tablet, or mobile to one that's back in your home country, letting you watch as if you were back there.
VPN's are incredibly easy to use and have the added benefit of giving you a further layer of security when surfing the web. There are lots of options, and we recommend ExpressVPN as our #1 pick due to its speed, security, and ease of use. It can be used on a vast array of operating systems and devices (e.g. iOS, Android, Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, Roku, games consoles, etc). Sign up for ExpressVPN now now and enjoy a 49% discount and 3 months FREE with an annual subscription. Or give it a try with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Looking for other options? Here are some alternatives that are on sale right now.
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No matter where in the world you may be, a VPN is one of the easiest ways to watch the MLB 2020 Season. Get in on this deal now!
How to watch Nationals vs. Yankees
Watching baseball can be hard if you're not a cable subscriber. The Nationals vs. Yankee game, for example, is airing on ESPN and you can watch all the coverage there. If you don't have cable or ESPN, however, things are going to be tough for you. You could get Sling TV, which offers ESPN channels through its monthly subscription. That will let you watch at least the games that air on that network. Sling Orange gives you access to ESPN, ESPN2, and TBS, which are three of the six networks broadcasting MLB games this season. Sling Blue gives you access to FOX, FS1, and TBS. Getting both costs you $45 a month instead of just $30 a month for one or the other.
Sling TV
Subscribe to Sling TV now and get 3 days of access for free to try it out!
Another way to watch is through the MLB.TV app. This lets you stream every game live. The die hard fans can pay the $59.99 annual fee to watch all out-of-market games. Or you can go with $24.99 for one month to see if it works for you. The third plan is $49.99 but only focuses on one team if you're really just into how that team will perform. You can also access MLB.TV in other ways like through Prime Video.
It's important to keep in mind that blackout restrictions still apply with MLB.TV. If you live in the Nationals or Yankees market, you won't be able to view these games unless you have access to ESPN.
One last possibility includes Hulu with Live TV. This is Hulu's most expensive plan at $54.99, but it does include full access to Hulu's content library as well as more than 65 live channels. Fox, ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, and TBS are all included. That covers five of the six channels airing baseball games this season with just the MLB channel left out.
Some of the more expensive possibilities include:
- YouTube TV - $65 per month - YouTube TV can give you access to the MLB channel in addition to the other five baseball broadcasting stations
- AT&T TV Now - the $65 per month package includes access to HBO but doesn't have any more ways to watch baseball than Hulu with Live TV
What to watch for?
This game will feature one of the best pitching matchups of the season, and we're seeing it on the first day! Gerrit Cole will be putting his $324 million nine-year contract to work for the first time in his Yankees debut. Cole ended last season pitching for the Houston Astros in the World Series against the Nationals and their pitcher, Max Scherzer. Scherzer took down Cole and the Astros in Game 7 and looks to continue his success. After suffering from back issues a lot last season and being hampered by the late start to this season, it's going to be interesting to see if Scherzer can bounce back.
Play Ball!
Each of the first three games featuring the Yankees and Nationals will take place on different broadcasting stations. You'll at least need access to ESPN, Fox, and TBS to watch those games. We've highlighted a few ways you can gain that access if you don't have it already.
Get ready for some whirlwind sports this year. With a shortened season, teams can't really afford to throw anything away. And they definitely aren't risking their own health and safety for a lackluster performance. While it's disappointing to lose nearly 2/3 of the season, it does automatically put teams in a postseason frame of mind. Expect some intense battles this year.
