Baseball is back and 2020’s Opening Day action didn’t disappointment, with the Yankees beating the reigning World Series champion Nationals on the back of superb performances by superstar sluggers Giancarlo Stanton (2-3, 1 HR, 3 RBIs) and Aaron Judge (2-3, 1 RBI). What next for this AL vs NL showdown? There’s only one way to find out. Read on as we explain how to watch the next Yankees vs Nationals game online and live stream MLB action from anywhere in the world.
Yankees vs Nationals cheat sheet
Typically, the sitting US President throws out the first pitch of the new MLB season – but then Donald Trump isn’t really a typical anything and has eschewed the tradition for his entire term in office. Instead, Thursday’s ceremonial first pitch at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. was tossed by Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – who despite growing up in Brooklyn has been described as a Nats ‘super-fan’.
After that, it was time for the real action to get underway as Nationals starter Max Scherzer duelled with new Yankees ace Gerrit Cole on the mound. Cole was acquired by the Bronx Bombers from the Houston Astros in a characteristically ostentatious 10-year, $324 million deal last winter and didn’t disappoint, allowing only one run (a solo home run shot to Adam Eaton) over the course of five innings – the game being abandoned due to rain thereafter.
Scherzer also had his moments and ended the night with an impressive 11 strikeouts (the all-time single game record is 20), but the six hits he did allow were costly ones.
All in all, it was a great way to usher in the 2020 MLB season, so keep reading as we explain how to get a Yankees vs Nationals live stream and watch the rest of the series online from all over the world.
How to watch the Yankees vs Nationals from outside your country
If you’re in the US tonight, then getting a Yankees vs Nationals live stream should be no problem, as the game is being shown on ESPN – available via both cable TV and a number of over-the-top platforms.
Anyone out of the country might run into more difficulty, though, as geo-blocking will stop you from watching the same services and content you normally would at home – even though you pay for them.
Fortunately, a solution exists in the form of a VPN – a handy bit of software that will let you regain access to your normal baseball live stream, no matter where you are in the world. It does this by re-routing your device’s IP address back to the location you choose – in this case, probably the US, but possibly elsewhere.
This functionality also means that VPNs are great for getting around in-market black out restrictions, making them something every MLB fan should have in their bat bag. But which one should you swing for?
ExpressVPN – get 3 months FREE with this deal
We’ve tested hundreds of Virtual Private Networks over the years and can confidently say that ExpressVPN is the #1 VPN in the world right now. It’s easy to install, a breeze to use, offers fast speeds and robust security features – and even comes with 24/7 customer support.
Compatible with nearly anything you can imagine, a single ExpressVPN subscription will let you use the software across all your devices, including Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, PC, Mac, iPhone, Android phones, iPads, tablets, consoles, Apple TV and more.
Check out ExpressVPN for all your MLB streaming needs. You get the benefit of a quibble free 30-day money back guarantee to give it a whirl and the benefit of 3 months extra FREE if you commit to an annual plan – the ultimate solution for this season and beyond.View Deal
Yankees vs Nationals live stream: how to watch MLB Opening Day in the US
Tonight’s Opening Day MLB action is a double-header on ESPN, starting with the Yankees vs Nationals at 7.08pm ET / 6.08pm CT / 4.08pm PT.
As it’s being shown on ESPN, that means the local coverage usually provided by MASN (for the Nats) and YES Network (for the Yanks) is off the menu.
Instead, those with ESPN on cable TV can watch the game through the ESPN website by logging in with details of their provider – and those without have the option of either MLB.TV or an over-the-top streaming service.
MLB.TV will let you watch every game of the 2020 season for a one-off payment of $59.99 (or $49.99 for a single team), but there’s one huge catch in that it’s only designed for out-of-market viewing. This means if you’re local to either Washington, D.C or New York, you’ll find the game blacked out – unless you use a VPN as per our guide above, of course.
Of the OTT options, we think Sling TV is the best fit for most people’s baseball watching needs. It offers access to all the channels you need to watch prime-time games – ESPN, TBS, Fox Sports and MLB Network – and packages from just $30 a month, as well as coming with a FREE trial period so you can see if it’s right for you.
Here are all of your over-the-top options in full. All prices are per month, based on the package or combination of packages that gets you access to the most MLB games.
- Sling TV $55 – All the cable channels a baseball fan needs to watch the biggest games in one place. A combined Sling Blue and Orange package for $45 covers ESPN, TBS and Fox Sports, while $10 adds Sports Extra and MLB Network (plus NHL Network, NBA TV, beIN Sports, ESPN U, Tennis Channel and more). On balance, our favorite option and you can try a FREE Sling TV trial – but note local coverage is limited.
- YouTube TV $64.99 – The best option after Sling, YouTube TV includes ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1, MLB Network and TBS. Many local networks and regional networks are also covered, six accounts are included in the price, and a free trial is available.
- Hulu $54.99 – A good option, Hulu with Live TV includes ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1 and TBS but does not come with the MLB Network. It does, however, offer local networks in select markets. Free trial offered.
- AT&T TV Now $55 – Another solid offering, AT&T TV Now gets you ESPN, Fox Sports and TBS but, again, not MLB Nework. Local TV coverage is available in select markets. Free trial offered.
- fuboTV $54.99 – Not necessarily worth considering for baseball fans, Unfortunately it does not have ESPN, MLB Network or TBS – though it does offer strong local coverage and offer a free trial.
Nationals vs Yankees live stream: how to watch MLB online in the UK
BT Sport has the rights to MLB action in the UK through 2021 and you’ll find all the channels you need available through one BT’s many TV bundles, or as an add-on for Sky TV and Virgin Media customers.
Tonight’s Nationals vs Yankees game is being aired on BT Sport 1 from midnight (12am BST) and runs into the early hours of Friday morning.
For cord cutters, BT now also offers the option of watching BT Sport without locking yourself into a lengthy contract by way of its £25 Monthly Pass.
And if BT Sport’s monthly prices are still too high for you, remember that MLB.TV is also available in the UK, where it costs approximately £50 a month for the full works and blackout rules obviously don’t apply.
How to watch the Yankees vs Nationals: live stream MLB in Canada
Tonight’s Yankees vs Nationals clash is being shown by TSN in Canada on its TSN4 channel, with coverage starting at 7pm ET just ahead of the first pitch at 7.08pm.
If you subscribe to cable, chances are you can watch via the TSN website – you’ll just need to log-in with details of your TV provider, but it won’t cost you anything extra on top of what you already pay.
Alternatively, you can subscribe to TSN Direct to watch MLB on a streaming-only basis – a great option for cord-cutters that costs just $24.99 a month. TSN’s French language counterpart, RDS, has an equivalent offering and also shows MLB live on TV and online.
The other great option is again MLB.TV, which is available in Canada, with only the Blue Jays subject to blackouts.
Yankees vs Nationals: series details and TV schedule
- Yankees vs Nationals game 1 on ESPN: Thursday, July 23, 7.08pm ET/4.08pm PT
- Yankees vs Nationals game 2 on FOX: Saturday, July 25, 7.15pm ET/4.15pm PT
- Yankees vs Nationals game 3 on TBS: Sunday, July 26, 1.05pm ET/10.05am PT