At long last, the 2020 MLB season has arrived. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced MLB to shorten the season to just 60 games, and Opening Day is set for Friday. There will also be a universal DH and a runner placed at second base to begin extra innings to speed things along. Embrace this weird. This season will be full of it.
The AL East rival Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays will begin the regular season in Tampa. Here's how you can watch their Opening Day matchup:
- Date: Friday, July 24
- Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
- Venue: Tropicana Field -- St. Petersburg, Florida
- TV: Fox Sports Sun
- Stream: MLB.TV
Pitching matchup: Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Charlie Morton
One of my favorite Opening Day pitching matchups. Morton finished third in the AL Cy Young voting last season and he remains a power pitcher at age 36. He struck out 240 batters with a 3.05 ERA in 194 2/3 innings. Ryu, meanwhile, finished second in the NL Cy Young voting last year. He had a 2.32 ERA in 182 2/3 innings with the Dodgers. The Blue Jays gave Ryu a four-year contract worth $80 million over the winter to lead their rotation. Very different styles -- Morton will blow you away while Ryu lulls hitters to sleep with changeups and breaking balls -- but both very good nonetheless.
Storyline to watch: Upstart Blue Jays look to hang with AL East powers
Toronto's position player core is loaded. Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are elite talents with cornerstone potential. Cavan Biggio and Lourdes Gurriel are very good complementary players. Don't sleep on Teoscar Hernandez or the Reese McGuire/Danny Jansen catching tandem either. Top pitching prospect Nate Pearson is on the way and veterans Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson bring competency behind Ryu. The Blue Jays didn't get much of that last year.
The Rays are so deep it's almost obnoxious and they are on the short list of the game's best teams. They want to make the jump from stathead fave to World Series champion this year. It's time to hang a banner that actually means something, you know?
#Rays have their 2019 AL wildcard banner up at the Trop pic.twitter.com/MiMew56JTv
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) July 18, 2020
The Blue Jays lost 95 games last year but they went 27-28 in their final 55 games. They were not a pushover like, say, the Orioles and Tigers. The rotation has been upgraded and the young position players all have some MLB experience now. I don't know whether they'll actually be good this season, but Toronto is going to be a real headache for opposing teams. They're talented.
Prediction!
Why not close with a prediction? I'll go with a Blue Jays upset in Tropicana Field on Opening Day. Guerrero hits two home runs and Ryu goes six strong in his first start for Toronto. Ken Giles, who was just outstanding last year, closes out the 6-3 win. The Blue Jays have lost their last three season openers. I predict that streak ends Friday.
