ESPN releases their MLB season-opening schedule, commentators

ESPN releases their MLB season-opening schedule, commentators


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The ESPN Sunday Night Baseball team – play-by-play voice Matt Vasgersian, analyst and World Series Champion Alex Rodriguez and ESPN Senior MLB Insider Buster Olney – will call three national MLB games in four days to start the 2020 season. The team will call ESPN’s exclusive New York Yankees at Washington Nationals Opening Night telecast presented by John Deere on Thursday, July 23, at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs matchup on Friday, July 24, at 7 p.m. ET. The trio will then call the second half of the special Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell doubleheader on July 26, as the Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Francisco Giants at 10 p.m. ET. All three games air on ESPN and stream via the ESPN App.

Innovative production approach

ESPN will continue to innovate in its coverage amidst unprecedented circumstances. To start the season, commentators will call games either from the ESPN studios at its Bristol, Conn. campus, or remotely via a “Live from Home Commentary” similar to ESPN’s KBO League coverage. Vasgersian and Rodriguez are expected to call the national, exclusive games, such as Opening Night and Sunday Night Baseball, from the ESPN Bristol, Conn. studios. In addition, play-by-play commentators Karl Ravech and Jon “Boog” Sciambi are also expected to call the action from the ESPN studios. Additional analysts, such as Baseball Hall-of-Famer Chipper Jones, Jessica Mendoza, Eduardo Perez, Rick Sutcliffe and Tim Kurkjian will call games remotely from their home studios using the “Live from Home Commentary” setup.

Baseball Tonight

Baseball Tonight, ESPN’s MLB studio show, will return for its 31st season, emanating from the ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn. The show will make its 2020 regular season debut on Friday, July 24, at 3 p.m. ET leading into ESPN’s Opening Day telecast presented by John Deere tripleheader. Kevin Connors will host the show with analyst Doug Glanville. Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown will air on July 26, leading into ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball doubleheader. The one-hour show starts at 6 p.m. ET with host Karl Ravech and analyst and World Series Champion Mark Teixeira previewing the games. Ravech and Teixeira will also contribute coverage to SportsCenter on July 23 leading into ESPN’s Opening Night games.

Additional ESPN season-opening coverage highlights:

As announced in March,Chipper Jones has joined ESPN as a game analyst and will call two Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets season-opening games with Jon “Boog” Sciambi, including the first half of ESPN’s special Sunday Night Baseball doubleheader on July 26, at 7 p.m. ET;

Trailblazing analyst Jessica Mendoza joins Karl Ravech and Tim Kurkjian on Opening Day, July 24, to call Mike Trout’s opener as the Los Angeles Angels visit the Oakland Athletics at 10 p.m. ET;

Karl Ravech, Eduardo Perezand Tim Kurkjian to call the second half of the Opening Night doubleheader as the Dodgers host the Giants on Thursday, July 23, at 10 p.m. ET.

Summer Camp games

In addition to the Opening Night and Opening Day games, ESPN and ESPN2 will also combine to televise two MLB Summer Camp games. This Saturday, July 18, ESPN2 will carry the New York Yankees at New York Mets game at 7 p.m. ET. Karl Ravech and analysts Eduardo Perez and Tim Kurkjian will provide commentary. On Sunday, July 19, ESPN will televise the Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs game with Jon “Boog” Sciambi and analysts Chipper Jones and Rick Sutcliffe on commentary at 7 p.m. ET. Both games are subject to local blackout restrictions.

ESPN Radio will also nationally broadcast two MLB season-opening games, including the New York Yankees at Washington Nationals Opening Night game with Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Chris Singleton on commentary. ESPN Radio will then broadcast the Atlanta Braves at New York Mets game on the July 26 edition of ESPN Radio’s Sunday Night Baseball. Singleton will join Marc Kestecher on the call.

All ESPN MLB games and shows also stream via the ESPN App.

Sat, July 18 7 p.m. MLB Summer Camp: New York Yankees vs. New York Mets Karl Ravech, Eduardo Perez, Tim Kurkjian ESPN2, ESPN App

Sun, July 19 7 p.m. MLB Summer Camp: Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs Jon “Boog” Sciambi, Chipper Jones, Rick Sutcliffe ESPN, ESPN App

Thu, July 23 7 p.m. Opening Night telecast presented by John Deere:

New York Yankees vs. Washington Nationals (Exclusive)

ESPN: Matt Vasgersian, Alex Rodriguez, Buster Olney

ESPN Radio: Jon “Boog” Sciambi, Chris Singleton

ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN App

Thu, July 23 10 p.m. Opening Night telecast presented by John Deere:

San Francisco Giants vs.

Los Angeles Dodgers (Exclusive)

Karl Ravech, Eduardo Perez, Tim Kurkjian

ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN App

Fri, July 24 3 p.m. Baseball Tonight Kevin Connors, Doug Glanville ESPN, ESPN App

Fri, July 24 4 p.m. Opening Day telecast presented by John Deere:

Atlanta Braves vs.

New York Mets*

Jon “Boog” Sciambi, Chipper Jones, Rick Sutcliffe ESPN, ESPN App

Fri, July 24 7 p.m. Opening Day telecast presented by John Deere:

Milwaukee Brewers vs.

Chicago Cubs **

Matt Vasgersian, Alex Rodriguez, Buster Olney ESPN, ESPN App

Fri, July 24 10 p.m. Opening Day telecast presented by John Deere:

Los Angeles Angels vs.

Oakland Athletics

Karl Ravech, Eduardo Perez, Jessica Mendoza ESPN, ESPN App

Sun, July 26 6 p.m. Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown Karl Ravech, Mark Teixeira ESPN, ESPN App

Sun, July 26 7 p.m. Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell: Atlanta Braves vs.

New York Mets (Exclusive)

ESPN: Jon “Boog” Sciambi, Chipper Jones

ESPN Radio: Marc Kestecher, Chris Singleton

ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN App

Sun, July 26 10 p.m. Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell: San Francisco Giants vs.

Los Angeles Dodgers (Exclusive)

Matt Vasgersian, Alex Rodriguez, Buster Olney

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