MLB Opening Day 2015: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Baseball Predictions
The St. Louis Cardinals handed the Chicago Cubs the first loss of the 2015 MLB season on Opening Night, and Monday's full slate of action on Opening Day promises to bring in the new campaign with a bang.
There's much to look forward to in 2015. Multiple teams underwent major facelifts during the offseason, the fruits of which we only got a brief sample of during spring training. Will there be a changing of the guard in some of baseball's most competitive divisions?
Emerging young stars are also set to steal the show this season. Some have already shown what they've got during spring games.
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The season is only just beginning, but it doesn't hurt to look ahead a bit. Below is a full table including viewing information for Opening Day action, as well as a handful of predictions for the 2015 season.
Viewing Info
| 1 p.m. | Yankees | Blue Jays | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 1:08 p.m. | Tigers | Twins | - | - |
| 2:10 p.m. | Brewers | Rockies | - | - |
| 3:05 p.m. | Phillies | Red Sox | - | - |
| 3:10 p.m. | Rays | Orioles | - | - |
| 4 p.m. | Nationals | Mets | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 4:10 p.m. | Royals | White Sox | - | - |
| 4:10 p.m. | Mariners | Angels | - | - |
| 4:10 p.m. | Reds | Pirates | - | - |
| 4:10 p.m. | Dodgers | Padres | - | - |
| 4:10 p.m. | Marlins | Braves | - | - |
| 7 p.m. | Astros | Indians | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 10 p.m. | Diamondbacks | Giants | ESPN2 | WatchESPN |
| 10:05 p.m. | Athletics | Rangers | - | - |
Note: All ESPN live streams can be seen here at WatchESPN.com.
2015 Season Predictions
Kris Bryant Gets the Call and Never Looks Back
The Cubs collected just five hits on Opening Night, scoring no runs and going 0-13 with runners in scoring position against Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals bullpen. Offense shouldn't be an issue for this team in 2015, but there's no denying that Kris Bryant is a necessary piece to the larger puzzle.
The 23-year-old smacked nine homers this spring, and once he gets to the bigs, expect him to leave the yard regularly.
"Expect the former Torero to rake once he’s called up—likely before the end of April—somewhere to the tune of 25 homers and a .275 average," writes Eddie Brown of U-T San Diego.
Bryce Harper Finally Smashes 30 Homers
Bryce Harper has regressed in both power and durability since his rookie season in 2012, and experts are wondering when the young talent is going to break out. Again, we're all left thinking that this might be the year. But it actually might be. It looks as if he's gotten stronger over the offseason:
Hitting 30 home runs really comes down to health for Harper. He finished with 22 when he played 139 games as a rookie, so one would think that a healthy season coupled with the progression he has made since 2012 should lead to success. He probably won't be in the MVP race in the National League, but look for Harper to finally crack the 30-homer plateau.
Matt Harvey Comes Back Better Than Ever
Matt Harvey started the All-Star Game for the NL in 2013 before going under the knife for Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter. He was dominant in his first full season in the bigs, posting a 2.27 ERA (2.01 FIP) over 178.1 innings. Surgery couldn't have come at a worse time.
It takes some pitchers a long time to come back 100 percent from that type of surgery, but Harvey appears fine. His spring numbers were stellar (1.19 ERA, 0.794 WHIP, 21 K, 1 BB), and that should be an indication of how he'll open the season.
Harvey will finish as a top-five pitcher in the National League this season. He has all the makings of a Cy Young contender for the next decade. This is the year he breaks out and stays at the top.
Giancarlo Stanton Makes Marlins Ownership Look Good
It would be catastrophic for the Miami Marlins if Giancarlo Stanton doesn't produce monster numbers in 2015. After signing the richest contract in the sport's history, Stanton is facing the pressures of living up to the deal. He must realize that he can't earn all $325 million in one season, however. Taking it one year at a time is the way to stay successful.
Stanton finished second in the NL MVP voting last season after hitting 37 homers and driving in 105 runs. A hit-by-pitch to the face effectively ended his season, but the freak injury was the only blemish on his otherwise healthy season. With a full 162-game schedule under his belt, Stanton might leave the yard 40 times. Numbers like that would make the Marlins front office look amazing.
The Mariners Are Really Good
Good luck scoring runs against the Seattle Mariners. A five-man rotation featuring Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton, J.A. Happ and Taijuan Walker isn't going to give lineups many opportunities to score. A strong bullpen headlined by Fernando Rodney in the closer's role should also limit the opposition.
The lineup is the lone question mark. Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager and Nelson Cruz are locks for strong campaigns, but the outfield significantly lacks power. Logan Morrison and Brad Miller are also unknowns given their career numbers.
But this pitching is simply stellar. The Mariners won 87 games with a similar rotation and a lineup that didn't feature the reigning MLB home-run champ (Cruz), so adding him to the mix is sure to boost this team's chances of winning. Add in the progression of younger players, and the Mariners might win 95 games.
The Nationals Win the World Series
Signing Max Scherzer bumped Tanner Roark—one of the top arms in the NL last season—to the bullpen. That's an indication of how unreal this the Washington Nationals' pitching staff is on paper. Scherzer joins Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister in the rotation.
The lineup is also incredibly strong, with potential All-Stars at prominent positions (Ian Desmond, Anthony Rendon and Harper). Add in strong complementary bats like Ryan Zimmerman, Wilson Ramos, Jayson Werth and Denard Span, and this team can go all the way.
"They’re not going to win 120 games, you wouldn’t think, but I think pushing the 100-mark is a very doable thing,” said MLB Network's John Smoltz (via Tom Schad of the Washington Times). “I think the combination of offense and pitching and bullpen gives them the edge over most, because they have depth. They can sustain certain injuries that other clubs can’t."
Sustaining injuries is huge, however, as Rendon, Werth and Denard Span are already starting the year on the disabled list. Harper, Zimmerman and Ramos also have injury histories.
If all the key Nats stay on the field for a vast majority of the team's games, there's no reason the team shouldn't win the World Series. The Nats can out-pitch anybody in the league. They'll be able to out-hit most teams. They have every piece necessary to dominate in 2015.
Kenny DeJohn is a Breaking News Team Featured Columnist. Follow him on Twitter.
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