Pirates To Open 2021 Season, Expected To Be Terrible

PITTSBURGH, PA — The 2021 Major League Baseball season gets underway this week, with opening day for the Pirates and the 29 other teams set for Thursday. The Pirates begin the season at 2:20 p.m. in Chicago against the Cubs.

Chad Kuhl will get the nod on the mound for the Pirates.

Most online predictions have the Pirates being awful, with several forecasting the team will lose 100 games or more this year as the rebuilding process continues.

The 2021 MLB season will look different from any other year, at least in the stands, as fans will
be allowed inside all 30 ballparks after a 2020 regular season that was played entirely without fans in the stands because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Teams have varied greatly in the attendance capacity rules set forth before the season. The Texas Rangers are allowing a 100 percent capacity return, which could mean more than 40,000 fans at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. No other squad is allowing more than a 50 percent capacity.

The Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals are the teams allowing the fewest number of fans, only permitting 12 percent to start the season, according to The Athletic.

See Also: Baseball Fans Split On Going Back To The Ballpark In 2021.

Thursday will also the first time in many years that all 30 teams will start the season on the same day. In recent years, a Sunday night baseball game was held before a Monday opening day.