Tampa Bay Rays news and links: Opening Day 2020 start time scheduled for 4:10 PM

Major League Baseball has announced the game times for its master 2020 regular season schedule, which will begin with all 30 Major League Clubs playing on Opening Day on Thursday, March 26^th. Opening Day of the 2020 campaign is scheduled to mark the first time since 1968 in which every team across the Majors plays their first game of the season on the same day.

Opening Day will have a Tripleheader on ESPN, featuring the World Champion Nationals visiting the Mets, the Giants at Dodgers, and then the Astros hosting the Angels. ESPN will broadcast an additional seven games during the first week of the season following traditional Opening Day.

FOX will begin its 2020 national coverage on Saturday, March 28^th when the Mets host the Nationals at Citi Field at 4:05 p.m. (ET) on FS1, followed by the Atlanta Braves visiting the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field at 8:10 p.m. (ET)/5:10 p.m. (PT). MLB on TBS live game coverage will return on Sunday, July 5^th and will continue each Sunday through the end of the regular season.

Most importantly, 2020 Opening Day includes a rare Interleague match-up between our Tampa Bay Rays and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Tropicana Field, which will have a start time of 4:10 p.m. ET.

Other notes on the 2020 season from the Opening Day press release:

• The Miami Marlins will host the Mets in the Puerto Rico Series, a three-game set at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico beginning on Tuesday, April 28^th at 7:10 p.m. (ET).
• In the first-ever regular season games in Mexico City, Mexico, the Diamondbacks will host the San Diego Padres for a two-game set at the new Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium beginning on Saturday, April 18^th at 7:10 p.m. (ET)/4:10 p.m. (PT).
• MLB will return to London Stadium for Mitel & MLB Present London 2020, a two-game set on June 13^th-14^th between the host Cardinals and Chicago Cubs. FOX Sports will provide coverage of the game on Saturday, June 13^th at 1:10 p.m. ET, while ESPN will broadcast the game on Sunday, June 14^th (time TBD).
• The Dodgers will host their NL West-rival Giants in the only Major League game played on Thursday, July 16^th, following the All-Star break at 8:09 p.m. (ET)/5:09 p.m. (PT) on ESPN.
• “MLB at Field of Dreamsä presented by GEICO” between the Chicago White Sox and Yankees on Thursday, August 13^th in Dyersville, Iowa at 7:20 p.m. (ET)/6:20 p.m. (CT) on FOX. Part of the GEICO Summer Series, the historic game will be the first Major League game ever played in Iowa.
• The final day of the 2020 regular season, which features 12 divisional match-ups, is scheduled for Sunday, September 27^th. Fo r the sixth consecutive year, all games played on the final scheduled day of the regular season will begin at 3:00 p.m. (ET), with potential Postseason ramifications at stake.

Rays News

• Rays Radio: Rays Look to Avoid 2020 Arbitration Hearings
• Florida Politics; Five things to look for at Tiger Bay forum with Jane Castor, Rick Kriseman, and George Cretekos
• Reid Brignac will become a manager this season in the Mets system

Other Links

• FanGraphs: Is the Cost of a Win in Free Agency Still Linear?
• FanGraphs: The Count Is King (Even After Accounting for Batter Skill)
• The Brewers have extended Craig Counsell
• This is fascinating in a car crash sort of way: In bizarre lawsuit, Yankees’ failed prospect says Derek Jeter ruined his career
• Bat visuals on baseball’s homerun leaders:

• A murder at the winter meetings??? We haven’t seen one of those since Dave Dombrowski acquired Miguel Cabrera!*

*bullcrap Stanton trade doesn’t count

• And now your moment of zen: