The New York Yankees’ 60-game schedule for 2020 begins in Washington D.C. and features key matchups against AL and NL East opponents.
The New York Yankees will open an abbreviated 60-game 2020 MLB season against the defending champion Washington Nationals in Washington D.C. on July 23. The team’s entire schedule may be viewed below, courtesy of Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
Sprint to the finish. pic.twitter.com/hrRrERp0tI
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) July 6, 2020
On July 23, brand new Yankee Gerrit Cole will take the mound against three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. Cole spent last season with the Houston Astros and signed a nine-year, $324 million contract with New York in the offseason.
The Washington series is followed by four games against the Philadelphia Phillies. Two games will be played at Citizens Bank Park before both teams play the next two at Yankee Stadium.
On two separate weekends in August, the Subway Series will take place against the New York Mets.
In all, the Yankees will play 40 games against their fellow AL East teams and 20 interleague matchups versus NL East squads.
JB’s take
Well, here it is, folks. The schedule we thought might never come—60 games, nine opponents in the regular season. There will be no trips to California. The planned Field of Dreams game in August will instead be played between the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals rather than the Yankees and White Sox.
And on top of all that, the Yankees don’t have much room for error or injury. Remember, injuries ravaged the team over the last two seasons, so much that general manager Brian Cashman completely revamped the training staff. Matt Blake was also hired as the new pitching coach, replacing the fired Larry Rothschild.
However, I’m excited both as a writer and a fan. Keep in mind that three months ago, the idea of baseball being played seemed so unlikely. A pandemic was and still is ravaging America to the point where even playing sports—even without fans—seems dicey. Some players have already opted out of the 2020 season over health and safety concerns.
But this schedule, short as it is, gives us something for which to be excited. Sports are a return to normalcy, and New York Yankees fans were plenty excited before everything shut down. In a short season, New York’s strength and depth could be an advantage towards winning the World Series.
This is going to be a strange season. It will be unlike anything any fan, player, coach, or owner has ever witnessed before. There will be bumps in the road. Unless a vaccine comes earlier than expected, COVID-19’s presence will always be looming outside the stadiums.
Though all those concerns are valid, the season appears primed to begin later this month. The New York Yankees’ quest for a 28th World Series ring begins on July 23.
