MLB Opening Day: Mariners Season Begins Friday

SEATTLE, WA — The crack of the bat, but not the roar of the crowd, will mark the sound of Major League Baseball returning in 2020.

Instead of the traditional late March or early April opening day madness with fans tailgating and pouring into the stands of ballparks nationwide, this year’s opener comes in late July and in front of largely empty stadiums due to the shortened season forced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Diverting from the normal 162-game slate, all MLB teams in 2020 — including the Mariners — will play only 60 in the regular season. The playoff format, with five teams advancing from both the American and National leagues, will remain the same.

Things get started Thursday with two night games. First, the New York Yankees will visit the defending World Series champions Washington Nationals. That will be followed by a contest between two West Coast rivals, the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.

For all other teams, the season starts Friday. The Mariners will play against the Astros at Houston starting at 6:10 p.m. PST. The team's home opener will be against Oakland on July 31.

Find the Mariners full regular season schedule here.

Surely, the 2020 season will look a lot different from seasons past, with fans prohibited from entering the ballparks for at least the start of the season. Some teams, such as the Chicago White Sox, have responded to the fan ban by filling their ballpark seats with cardboard cutouts of their fans' likenesses. In Korea, the stadiums have been packed with stuffed animals to simulate a regular crowd.

Having no fans in the stands might take some adjusting to for most teams, but there’s one squad in particular that might welcome the temporary change. Fanless stadiums in 2020 will likely save the Houston Astros from hearing it from visiting crowds after punishments came down in connection with the sign-stealing scheme they conducted during their 2017 World Series run.

Empty stadiums won’t be the only noticeable change for those who follow baseball closely, however. The 2020 season will also bring the designated hitter to National League ballparks for the first time and a new extra-inning rule in which each frame will begin with a runner on second base.