MLB

The Dodgers are a popular pick to win the World Series, but they aren't unanimous.

Looking for more pre-Opening Day content? MLB has not had a repeat champion since the 1998-2000 Yankees, remember. A good twist heading into this season is the extra wild card team per league, enabling some divisions to place three -- or even four!

Alex Bregman, Houston Astros; Jake Fraley, Cincinnati Reds; Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays; Will Harris, Washington Nationals; Alex Lange, Detroit Tigers; DJ ...

LeMahieu’s the most decorated former Tiger now in the bigs but he had a rough 2021 season. Bregman was limited to just 91 games last season which is the fewest games he’s played in a non-rookie or COVID-shortened season. Bregman and the defending AL Champion Astros. are trying to finish the job they started last season.

After protracted negotiations between Major League Baseball's owners and players led to a 99-day lockout, baseball officially begins with new rules and new ...

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The business of Major League Baseball will increase in 2022 and reach pre-pandemic levels that should exceed the record revenues seen in 2019.

According to CNBC, total sponsorship revenue rose from $1 billion in 2020 to $1.7 billion in 2021. While the league did renew with ESPN, the terms of the renewal shifted as the Worldwide Leader dropped their mid-week regular-season games and focused on Sunday Night Baseball. That opened the door for two streaming deals that while not financially as large as what would have been garnered through a full ESPN renewal, it does provide additional revenue above the 17% for linear television. Throw in all that, plus the increase in media rights, plus deals for each of the 30 clubs, and all things point to Major League Baseball meeting or surpassing $11 billion in gross revenues for 2022. While Bank of America did not renew, a new partner came in to replace it. A host of new business has the capacity to push the league’s revenues back into record territory. If the nearly 100 days of the league-imposed lockout did any damage to the business of baseball, you’d be hard-pressed to find it.

NBC hasn't carried Major League Baseball games in decades — but that's changing this year.

Several outlets previously reported the deal as close to finalized. The last time NBC aired a MLB game was in 1989, according to the Wall Street Journal. MLB will rake in $30 million for the partnership, according to Forbes.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, not the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves, open the 2022 MLB season as the No. 1 team in USA TODAY Sports' MLB power ...

They open the season ranked 27th. ► This season figures to be another year with a lot of losses. ► Is this the season Mike Trout finally returns to the playoffs after a six-year hiatus? ► The rebuild appears to be complete with the additions of LHP Robbie Ray, OF Jesse Winker and 3B Eugenio Suárez. ► Juan Soto and Stephen Strasburg the most notable holdovers remaining from the 2019 World Series team. ► Marcus Stroman and Wade Miley should fortify the rotation. ► After five straight losing seasons, the Tigers look to be viable contenders. ► Padres begin season with SS Fernando Tatis Jr. on the IL with a broken wrist. ► It will be tough to match the 107-win season last year. ► Offense gets big boost with the addition of sluggers Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber. ► The defending World Series champions replace Freeman with Matt Olson. ► Trevor Story, moving from short to second, gives the Red Sox a very potent offense.

Eight former LSU Tigers have made opening day MLB rosters for the 2022 season beginning on Thursday, April 7.

Gausman, enjoyed his best year in the MLB with the San Francisco Giants last season and posted a career-high 14 wins to go along with six losses. Harris begins his third season with the Nationals after working for five years in the Houston Astros’ bullpen. Lange, made his MLB debut with Detroit in April 2021. Aaron Nola, is entering his eighth season with the Philadelphia Phillies and has emerged as their ace pitcher for the staff. He was then traded to the Padres in August 2020 and helped them reach the playoffs that season. Bregman was a two-time first-team all-American at LSU, and was named the recipient of the 2013 Brooks Wallace Award as the nation’s best shortstop.

SportsLine's computer model has revealed its top MLB picks, predictions and parlay for Opening Day 2022.

What MLB Opening Day MLB picks should you target for a payout of almost 15-1? Lefty Framber Valdez takes the mound for Houston, and he had success against the Angels last season. If you successfully parlay the picks, you'd be looking at a payout of almost 15-1. You can see the model's MLB Opening Day picks only at SportsLine. First pitch is 8:08 p.m. ET. The game is one of seven scheduled for Opening Day. (Two other games have already been postponed because of weather concerns.) Now, the model has locked in four confident MLB best bets for Opening Day of the 2022 season.

Here's a quick look at the gorgeous scene at Truist Park tonight as the defending champion Atlanta Braves take on the Cincinnati Reds.

All of which is to say his pitching line will be 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts -- and he'll be in Cy Young contention throughout the season. Shohei Ohtani will be on the mound and he will be in the lineup, beginning what promises to be another enthralling season as a two-way player. And as a bonus Opening Day treat, the Shohei Ohtani Rule -- which allows him to remain in the game as a hitter after he's yanked as a pitcher -- gets its first whirl. Olney: He's not pitching on Opening Day, but I'll call that this will be the last year that future Hall of Famer Jacob deGrom is with the Mets. Steve Cohen has demonstrated he's ready and willing to invest in any way he feels can help the Mets, but there are just too many variables involved for deGrom to return -- the questions about his health now, his health moving forward, and most importantly, what he wants. Rogers: Corbin Burnes will one-hit the Cubs -- and Suzuki will be the only hitter to get to him. For the start of April, it was certainly a commendable performance -- and one the Reds hope he can build upon. The biggest pitch of his night came in the third inning when the score was still 0-0 and the Nationals had runners at the corners with one out and the dangerous Juan Soto at the plate. The Cubs' first game of the season is against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Rodriguez is slated to start in center field and will make his debut on Friday against the Minnesota Twins. Zack Greinke has been one of the best pitchers in the majors for almost two decades, and he cut his teeth as a young member of the Kansas City Royals from 2004 to 2010. Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain hit a groundout to first, but Andrew McCutchen was able to make it home to give visiting Milwaukee a 1-0 lead over the Cubs in the top of the fourth. "In the past, I would wake up sore a little bit and just have to grind through it," he said.

The Chicago Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field in the first game of the day at 2:20 p.m. ET with the Houston Astros-Los Angeles Angels and San ...

“I think given the last two seasons, the idea of having normal, unrestricted fans in the ballpark is a really exciting thing for me. Their season-opener, with Manfred scheduled to be in attendance, was postponed until Friday at Yankee Stadium. The Atlanta Braves, the defending World Series champions, have standing room only tickets available for both Thursday’s opener and Friday and Saturday’s games against Cincinnati. If he opts out, the 29-year-old would be one of the top players available on the free agent market. Frustrated fans solely blamed him. Major League Baseball players openly chastised him. The Twins also will receive a player to be named later and the Padres will get $6.6 million in cash under terms of the deal announced Thursday. Cardinals left fielder Tyler O'Neill's first home run of the season was a three-run shot in the second inning of the opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The homer gave St. Louis a 4-0 lead an inning after O'Neill had opened the scoring with an RBI single The Cubs inked Japanese star Seiya Suzuki to a five-year, $85 million contract in March and the 27-year-old made his debut Thursday, starting in right field and batting sixth for Chicago. Suzuki drew a walk in his first big-league plate appearance (second inning) and then singled leading off the bottom of the fifth against Corbin Burnes. Witt, one of the top prospects in baseball, started at third base for the Royals and had gone hitless in his first three at-bats until his extra-base hit against Triston McKenzie. The Chicago Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field in the first game of the day at 2:20 p.m. ET with the Houston Astros-Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres-Arizona Diamondbacks matchups the last to begin after 9:30 p.m. ET.

Apple's first Major League Baseball "Friday Night Baseball" livestreams will be free for anyone in the U.S. and eight countries.

As you would expect, Apple is promoting “Friday Night Baseball” on its other digital properties. On Thursdays, Apple will stream “Countdown to First Pitch” for a preview of each week’s upcoming games. In the MLB livestreams, viewers will see on-screen callouts about batters’ walk-up songs from Apple Music and will be able to test their knowledge of baseball trivia with help from Siri, Apple’s voice assistant. Los Angeles Angels matchup starting at 9:30 p.m. ET. In addition, “Friday Night Baseball” will feature rules analysis and interpretation from former MLB umpire Brian Gorman. Future game assignments for “Friday Night Baseball” broadcasters will be announced on a weekly basis. (The first was Jessica Mendoza in 2015 for ESPN.)

Baseball is back, as the 2022 season got going with a seven-game slate on Thursday.

Speaking of Hoerner, he swatted the first home run of the 2022 MLB season, a three-run blast against Burnes. Hoerner hit zero home runs in 324 plate appearances between the majors and minors from 2020-21. The Cubs have won their season opener for the fourth time in the past five years. He went 2 for 3 with a walk at the plate, including laying down a bunt to beat the shift, and he turned several nifty plays ranging to his right on defense. David Robertson closed out the win for the North Siders. The Royals are looking for their first winning season since their World Series win in 2015. It was his only full minor league season because of the pandemic. For his troubles, he finished seventh in the NL Cy Young balloting. In that final frame, Robert Suarez walked the first two batters, put the tying run in scoring position with a wild pitch, and then loaded the bases via hit batsman. Tim Hill opened the bottom of the seventh and allowed a leadoff hit to Pavin Smith that ended the no-hit bid. That said, it's encouraging to see the 35-year-old Darvish putting up zeroes after what was, by his standards, a disappointing 2021. After he was lifted as the starting pitcher, Ohtani was able to remain in the game at DH thanks to the freshly implemented " Ohtani rule." He was the Angels' starting pitcher in the team's opener, and he was the leadoff hitter in Joe Maddon's lineup.

Baseball is back! Here is your one-stop shop to keep up with the action as your team takes the field.

Shohei Ohtani will be on the mound and he will be in the lineup, beginning what promises to be another enthralling season as a two-way player. All of which is to say his pitching line will be 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts -- and he'll be in Cy Young contention throughout the season. And as a bonus Opening Day treat, the Shohei Ohtani Rule -- which allows him to remain in the game as a hitter after he's yanked as a pitcher -- gets its first whirl. Olney: He's not pitching on Opening Day, but I'll call that this will be the last year that future Hall of Famer Jacob deGrom is with the Mets. Steve Cohen has demonstrated he's ready and willing to invest in any way he feels can help the Mets, but there are just too many variables involved for deGrom to return -- the questions about his health now, his health moving forward, and most importantly, what he wants. The Cubs' first game of the season is against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Rodriguez is slated to start in center field and will make his debut on Friday against the Minnesota Twins. Zack Greinke has been one of the best pitchers in the majors for almost two decades, and he cut his teeth as a young member of the Kansas City Royals from 2004 to 2010. Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain hit a groundout to first, but Andrew McCutchen was able to make it home to give visiting Milwaukee a 1-0 lead over the Cubs in the top of the fourth. He gave the Diamondbacks a victory in which Yu Darvish had pitched six no-hit innings for the Padres. And get this: He's the first rookie to hit a walk-off home run on Opening Day in a game his team was trailing. For the start of April, it was certainly a commendable performance -- and one the Reds hope he can build upon. The biggest pitch of his night came in the third inning when the score was still 0-0 and the Nationals had runners at the corners with one out and the dangerous Juan Soto at the plate. It turns out the 2022 season has begun similarly to the way the 2021 season unfolded for the Angels, who couldn't get anything going against Framber Valdez on Opening Day. But there's a clear bright side -- and that, of course, is Ohtani himself, who displayed impressive fastball command, threw a crisp slider and generally looked really good in his debut.

The Cincinnati Reds have watched with admiration as the Atlanta Braves celebrated their Major League Baseball (MLB) championship....

The Dodgers are as dangerous ever but will the Blue Jays emerge from the stacked AL East. Our team of writers have their say.

In a game with no sure things, the Dodgers are the closest thing to one. Unfortunately, the series might not last long enough for the broadcasters to give us the complete history because the Dodgers once again will have the most complete lineup in the major leagues, plus Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw ready to pitch twice in a seven-game series. Blue Jays 4-2 Dodgers. The Blue Jays have one of the most compelling lineups in MLB, and if they all click, it could be a generational group that brings a title to Canada for the first time since 1993. Expect the Dodgers to take back the NL West after the surprising Giants take a small step back. The Brewers are a ton of fun with a deep pitching rotation combined with an electric bullpen and a more than satisfactory lineup. But the reigning American League pennant winners remain the class of this division, even without Carlos Correa. BAG The only predictable thing might be that the Baltimore Orioles are going to be one of the worst teams in baseball, everything else might come down to the last week. That said, it’s probably the toughest division in baseball, and it should be a war to the finish, where the Jays pip the Rays on the last day of the season. The AL race is probably the most open in years, especially with all the question marks hanging around Gerrit Cole. Robbie Ray certainly has a chance to repeat in his new roomy confines in Seattle. DL I’m just going to be Mr Predictable and pick Mr Predictable in the AL with the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout. In the NL, we’ll go with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts. It’s unlikely that both will win, but it’s pretty good odds that at least one of these bets will pay off, barring injuries. There is a bit more competition in the NL however, where the majestic Juan Soto should get the award he deserved to win last year. But I was pleasantly surprised to see two of the others won’t be back for 2022: 1) seven-inning doubleheaders and 2) the extra-innings rule starting each half-inning after the ninth with a runner on second base.

MLB fans could not get enough of Joey Votto and Ozzie Albies's wholesome mic'd up exchange in the fourth inning of Thursday's game.

Apple is taking a bite of Major League Baseball. MLB is making strides to put baseball in front of as many viewers as possible — kind of.

It's unknown when the switch will be flipped to a paid service in order to watch the games. The good news about this is that, for a limited time, "Friday Night Baseball" airs for free over the streaming service, meaning no money out of your pocket to catch these games. 9:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. White Sox Red Sox vs. 9:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. What makes matters more complicated is the exclusivity of these games on their respective streaming services. This season, with a new partnership between the league and Apple, select games will be available strictly on Apple TV+ in its "Friday Night Baseball" package.

The Cincinnati Reds have watched with admiration as the Atlanta Braves celebrated their Major League Baseball (MLB) championship....

Eight former LSU players appear on Major League Baseball active rosters as the 2022 MLB season opens on Thursday.

Lange, a product of Lee’s Summit, Mo., made his MLB debut with Detroit in April 2021. Austin Nola, a native of Baton Rouge and Aaron’s older brother, made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Seattle Mariners, and he collected 10 home runs and 31 RBI in 79 games. Bregman, a product of Albuquerque, N.M., made his MLB debut with Houston in July 2016, and he helped lead the Astros to the 2017 World Series title as the club’s starting third baseman. Harris begins his third season with the Nationals after working for five years in the Houston Astros’ bullpen. Aaron Nola, a Baton Rouge native, enters his eighth season in the Philadelphia rotation. Bregman, who is entering his seventh season with the Astros, played at LSU from 2013 through 2015 and led the Tigers to two College World Series appearances.

Baseball is back! Here is your one-stop shop to keep up with the action as your team takes the field.

Shohei Ohtani will be on the mound and he will be in the lineup, beginning what promises to be another enthralling season as a two-way player. All of which is to say his pitching line will be 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts -- and he'll be in Cy Young contention throughout the season. And as a bonus Opening Day treat, the Shohei Ohtani Rule -- which allows him to remain in the game as a hitter after he's yanked as a pitcher -- gets its first whirl. Olney: He's not pitching on Opening Day, but I'll call that this will be the last year that future Hall of Famer Jacob deGrom is with the Mets. Steve Cohen has demonstrated he's ready and willing to invest in any way he feels can help the Mets, but there are just too many variables involved for deGrom to return -- the questions about his health now, his health moving forward, and most importantly, what he wants. The Cubs' first game of the season is against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Rodriguez is slated to start in center field and will make his debut on Friday against the Minnesota Twins. Zack Greinke has been one of the best pitchers in the majors for almost two decades, and he cut his teeth as a young member of the Kansas City Royals from 2004 to 2010. Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain hit a groundout to first, but Andrew McCutchen was able to make it home to give visiting Milwaukee a 1-0 lead over the Cubs in the top of the fourth. He gave the Diamondbacks a victory in which Yu Darvish had pitched six no-hit innings for the Padres. And get this: He's the first rookie to hit a walk-off home run on Opening Day in a game his team was trailing. For the start of April, it was certainly a commendable performance -- and one the Reds hope he can build upon. The biggest pitch of his night came in the third inning when the score was still 0-0 and the Nationals had runners at the corners with one out and the dangerous Juan Soto at the plate. It turns out the 2022 season has begun similarly to the way the 2021 season unfolded for the Angels, who couldn't get anything going against Framber Valdez on Opening Day. But there's a clear bright side -- and that, of course, is Ohtani himself, who displayed impressive fastball command, threw a crisp slider and generally looked really good in his debut.

Apple will offer free broadcasts of two exclusive MLB games per week on Apple TV+ starting Friday.

Apple doesn't need to make a huge profit from streaming TV. It just needs it as another weapon in its arsenal to keep you buying iPhones and other Apple gadgets. All that comes back to the same story we've seen play out at Apple since it started its push into online services several years ago. The new addition of live baseball games is a good experiment for Apple to see if it can garner enough interest to expand its sports offerings on Apple TV+ down the line, as others like Netflix keep avoiding live sports programming. Meanwhile, the dystopian workplace drama "Severance" turned into a sleeper hit this year, with critics raving and Apple ordering a second season. Apple picked up the best picture Oscar last month for "CODA" and several Emmys for "Ted Lasso," including outstanding comedy series. And while no one at Apple would complain if TV+ racked up Netflix-level subscribers, that's not the ultimate goal.

Baseball is back, as the 2022 season got going with a seven-game slate on Thursday.

Speaking of Hoerner, he swatted the first home run of the 2022 MLB season, a three-run blast against Burnes. Hoerner hit zero home runs in 324 plate appearances between the majors and minors from 2020-21. The Cubs have won their season opener for the fourth time in the past five years. He went 2 for 3 with a walk at the plate, including laying down a bunt to beat the shift, and he turned several nifty plays ranging to his right on defense. David Robertson closed out the win for the North Siders. The Royals are looking for their first winning season since their World Series win in 2015. It was his only full minor league season because of the pandemic. For his troubles, he finished seventh in the NL Cy Young balloting. In that final frame, Robert Suarez walked the first two batters, put the tying run in scoring position with a wild pitch, and then loaded the bases via hit batsman. Tim Hill opened the bottom of the seventh and allowed a leadoff hit to Pavin Smith that ended the no-hit bid. That said, it's encouraging to see the 35-year-old Darvish putting up zeroes after what was, by his standards, a disappointing 2021. After he was lifted as the starting pitcher, Ohtani was able to remain in the game at DH thanks to the freshly implemented " Ohtani rule." He was the Angels' starting pitcher in the team's opener, and he was the leadoff hitter in Joe Maddon's lineup.

Major League Baseball's Opening Day continues Friday. The Athletic will bring you the latest news, analysis, updates and more throughout the day.

Santiago Espinal drives in the go-ahead run with a double to centre field. But it stood to reason that Servais was going to need more time to get a full understanding of Ray, the person. The weather is better later in the season, too, so any exchange of April games for August or September games is a plus. That was evident to anyone. He recorded 88 pitches (66 for strikes), one walk and seven strikeouts in his Padres debut. He had nine near-perfect innings with 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 win over the Rangers. “At the same time, rooting just as hard for their teammates and they’re watching their at-bats, they’re paying attention, they’re excited for their teammates. From the West Coast, Yusei Kikuchi, while suiting up for the Seattle Mariners, noticed the Blue Jays’ unique celebrations. But Judge wanted an average annual value in the range of the $36 million Mike Trout received in his extension with the Los Angeles Angels, and the Yankees offered an AAV of $30.5 million. "By coming in towards the melee, basically. It’s time to play, and time to try to win a World Series.” Trea Turner said the Dodgers' brass approached him in recent days to tell him no extension offer was coming before the season, all but securing he will hit free agency this winter — potentially as the top available shortstop.

A total 275 international players from a record-tying 21 countries and territories appeared on Opening Day rosters, Major League Baseball (MLB) said on ...

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The 2022 Major League Baseball officially kicked off Thursday at 2:20 p.m. ET when Kyle Hendricks of the Cubs threw out the first pitch against the Brewers.

After his exit, the White Sox announced that Giolito left the game with abdominal tightness on his left side. Giolito threw the ball really well, giving up just one hit in four scoreless innings while striking out six. White Sox starter Lucas Giolito left Friday's game after just 61 pitches through four innings.

Starting on Friday, April 8, Apple TV+ will stream Friday Night Baseball, a doubleheader that will be available for free to anyone with internet access in ...

On Fridays, Apple News will have curated highlights and stories from around MLB, and you can get personalized MLB highlights in the News app. In a press release, Apple stated that the production will involve high-speed Phantom and high-resolution Megalodon cameras, immersive sound in 5.1 with spatial audio enabled, new on-screen graphics that include probabilities-based forecasts, and highlights and live look-ins from around the league integrated right into the broadcast. “Friday Night Baseball” will also use “new on-screen graphics that include innovative new probabilities-based forecasts of different situational outcomes, plus highlights and live look-ins from around the league integrated right into the broadcast,” according to Apple. 9:30 p.m. ET 9:30 p.m. ET 9:30 p.m. ET 9:30 p.m. ET 9:30 p.m. ET Apple has posted the first 12 weeks of the Friday Night Baseball schedule, covering April 8 to June 24. On a smart TV or set-top box: Many smart TVs and set-top boxes come with the Apple TV app installed. On Mac, iPhone, and iPad: Friday Night Baseball will be available through the TV app. Apple has not announced the schedule beyond June 24, nor whether future games will require a subscription.

After 14 teams started their seasons on Thursday, the rest of the league opens play Friday.

Alex Verdugo poked a little ground ball single through the drawn in infield to give Boston a 4-3 lead. The Yankees essentially have nine starting position players for eight spots (not counting catcher), so someone will have to sit each day. After his exit, the White Sox announced that Giolito left the game with abdominal tightness on his left side. Giolito threw the ball really well, giving up just one hit in four scoreless innings while striking out six. The Phillies lead the A's, 5-0, after a four-run third. Next up is the late, great Roberto Clemente with exactly 3,000. He did so Friday. With the Tigers down 3-1 to the White Sox, they loaded the bases and with two outs, went to arguably baseball's best closer in Liam Hendriks. And Miggy came through: Andrew Vaughn came through with the big White Sox home run. It was ruled a catch on the field, but replays showed it hit the wall before his glove, so it was a Tigers win and Javy walk-off in his Tigers debut. The Phillies, on the strength of their powerful offense and what was a good Aaron Nola outing, appeared to have opening day easily in hand. Logan Webb's first start of the year is in the books. The Phillies, Dodgers, Rays and Giants are among the other teams in action in the afternoon.

Can the Braves repeat as World Series champs? Who's going to be MVP? Looking into the crystal ball at the 2022 MLB season ahead.

- NL West: Dodgers - NL West: Dodgers The reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves are expected to compete for another title this year, but the balance of power may have shifted back to the West Coast when they let first baseman Freddie Freeman leave as a free agent.