DALLAS – ESPN will provide national coverage of seven 2016 Opening Day games on Sunday, April 3rd and Monday, April 4th. The announcement was made today by Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. at the conclusion of MLB’s quarterly owners meetings.
The seven games on Sunday and Monday will include the participation of all 10 Clubs that played in the 2015 Postseason, including an exclusive ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball” national opener that will renew the matchup of the 2015 World Series, with the World Champion Kansas City Royals hosting the National League Champion New York Mets at 7:35 p.m. Earlier that day, the 2016 Championship Season will begin on ESPN with a 12:05 p.m. game between two NL Central rivals, the host Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals, followed by a 3:05 p.m. American League East game between the host Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays on ESPN2.
The schedule for ESPN on Sunday, April 3rd and Monday, April 4th will be as follows:
Sunday, April 3rd
- 12:05 p.m. STL @ PIT ESPN
- 3:05 p.m. TOR @ TB ESPN2
- 7:35 p.m. (CT) NYM @ KC ESPN
Monday, April 4th
- 12:05 p.m. HOU @ NYY ESPN
- 3:05 p.m. SEA @ TEX ESPN
- 6:05 p.m. LAD @ SD ESPN
- 9:05 p.m. CHI @ LAA ESPN2
In addition, for the second consecutive year, all games played on the final scheduled day of the regular season – Sunday, October 2nd – will begin at 2:00 p.m. The overlapping schedule aims to maximize the excitement of Postseason races throughout the sport on the season’s final day.