ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell will return for its 27th season as the exclusive, national Major League Baseball Game of the Week in 2016. The prime-time, weekly platform will be home to baseball’s best players and most compelling matchups throughout the season, beginning with an Opening Night World Series rematch – the World Series Champion Kansas City Royals and World Series M.V.P. Salvador Perez host the New York Mets and ace Matt Harvey – on Sunday, April 3, at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell telecasts, generally starting at 8 p.m., will be available all season long on ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio andWatchESPN.
Early-season schedule highlights
· Multiple appearances by several teams expected to contend in 2016: Boston Red Sox; Los Angeles Dodgers; New York Mets; New York Yankees; and San Francisco Giants;
· Sunday Night Baseball to document Boston Red Sox icon David Ortiz’s final season across four early appearances;
· The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox renew their rivalry three times, including back-to-back weeks (May 1, May 8, July 17);
· NL West rivals: Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants will square off twice (April 17, June 12);
· The Pittsburgh Pirates and Andrew McCutchen to appear on Sunday Night Baseballfor third consecutive season (June 12), 8th appearance since 2014;
· Special Sunday Night Baseball doubleheader on June 12: St Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (5 p.m.); Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (8:30 p.m.);
· The Arizona Diamondbacks, led by new ace Zack Greinke, to make first appearance since 2008 (July 10);
· The Houston Astros, led by Carlos Correa, to make first appearance since 2013 (April 24).
See the early-season Sunday Night and season-opening schedules here.