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Fans have been given a glimpse of MLB games, but the 2024 season begins in full with Thursday's opener.
The Seoul Series officially kicked off the new calendar with a pair of games in South Korea between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Deigo Padres, but other MLB teams also begin their campaigns this week.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of opening day.
The opening game will take place on Thursday, March 28th, with 26 teams competing. Two more opening day assignment games will be played on Friday following rain postponements.
The Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels will begin the day's game at Camden Yards in Maryland at 3:05 p.m. ET. The Orioles will hold a moment of silence to honor the victims and the city's “brave first responders who jumped into action” before the team's home opener this season after Tuesday's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
All games will be broadcast live on MLB.TV and local broadcast stations.You can find a list of local stations here.
Ohtani's cloud casts a shadow over Dodgers' opening game
Much of the Los Angeles Dodgers' offseason was dominated by optimism and talk of a World Series shot after acquiring two-time MVP Shohei Ohtani and genius pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
But that baseball discussion has been overshadowed in recent weeks by a recent gambling scandal involving Ohtani and his longtime translator, Ippei Mizuhara.
The scandal broke while the Dodgers were in South Korea last week, with ESPN and the Los Angeles Times (which reported the story) claiming that Ohtani's lawyer accused Mizuhara of “grand theft” of millions of dollars and that he is under federal jurisdiction. It was reported that he was accused of placing bets with bookmakers. investigation. Suwon was fired while the team was in Seoul.
Ohtani, who signed the richest contract in baseball history with the Dodgers during the offseason, categorically denies betting on any sports or paying bookmakers, and has twice been accused of wrongdoing by the American League. Ohtani, who won the MVP award, was squarely attacked by a former interpreter who claimed that he had committed theft. money from his account.
Amid the dark cloud of this scandal, Ohtani went 3-for-10 at bat, had 2 RBIs, and 1 stolen base in the Soul Series, and will make his home debut against the St. Louis Cardinals at 6:10 p.m. ET.
Most of the discussion surrounding the Dodgers over the past week or so has been about this scandal and its impact on Ohtani, but the Dodgers still have players like Ohtani, Yamamoto, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Tyler. Glasnow and Walker Buehler are all on ESPN's top 100 player rankings.
Harry Howe/Getty Images
Ohtani is preparing to pitch in the Dodgers' preseason game against the Los Angeles Angels.
For a team with so much history and talent, missing out on the postseason last year was a huge disappointment for the New York Yankees.
This is the first time the team has achieved this since 2016, and dramatic improvements are expected in 2024.
The Yankees made a major overhaul of their roster during the offseason, with their main acquisition being Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres.
The three-time All-Star hit 35 home runs, 109 RBIs and batted .275 for San Diego last season and is one of the favorites to challenge for this season's American League MVP award.
With a roster that includes Soto, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gerrit Cole, the Yankees are expected to be one of the most powerful teams in the American League this time around, and will be competing against the 2022 champion Houston Astros. will start the 2024 season with a road trip.
Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
Judge (left) and Stanton (right) participate in preseason training.
There are many other notable stories in MLB.
In one of Thursday's postponed games, the Atlanta Braves will face the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, where the reigning National League MVP will make his first appearance of the year.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is coming off an outstanding individual season that made him the first player in MLB history to hit at least 40 home runs and steal 70 bases.
Although the Braves lost to the Phillies in the NL District Series, Acuña Jr. will continue to gain momentum with back-to-back MVP awards and is expected to lead Atlanta back to the top of the playoffs.
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Acuña Jr. stands at bat in the first inning of Game 4 of the 2023 National League Division Series between the Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
Elsewhere, the Texas Rangers begin defense of their World Series title at home against the Chicago Cubs.
Outside of the team's established stars, the Texans' breakout star may be Wyatt Longford, who was drafted fourth overall last year and blossomed during spring training.
Here's the full schedule for Opening Day's game schedule (all times Eastern):
Thursday, March 28th
Los Angeles Angels @ Baltimore Orioles – 3:05pm ET
Washington Nationals @ Cincinnati Reds – 4:10pm ET
San Francisco Giants @ San Diego Padres – 4:10pm ET
St. Louis Cardinals @ Los Angeles Dodgers – 4:10pm ET
Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays – 4:10pm ET
Minnesota Twins @ Kansas City Royals – 4:10pm ET
Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox – 4:10pm ET
Pittsburgh Pirates @ Miami Marlins – 4:10pm ET
New York Yankees @ Houston Astros – 4:10pm ET
Chicago Cubs @ Texas Rangers – 7:35pm ET
Cleveland Guardians @ Oakland Athletics – 10:07pm ET
Colorado Rockies @ Arizona Diamondbacks – 10:10pm ET
Boston Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners – 10:10pm ET
Friday, March 29th
Milwaukee Brewers @ New York Mets – 1:40pm ET
Atlanta Braves @ Philadelphia Phillies – 3:05pm ET
