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Report: Yankees-Nationals will headline MLB's July 23 opening day

Major League Baseball is opening the 2020 season with a bang.

According to Joel Sherman and Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, a high-profile battle between the New York Yankees and defending World Series champion Washington Nationals is slated to be the featured game on opening day, which is scheduled for July 23. The game will take place at Nationals Park in Washington.

The report adds that July 23 is not expected to feature a full slate of games, but will instead serve as an appetizer for the sprint that will begin in earnest on July 24.

And what an appetizer this game has the potential to be. If all goes according to plan, the game should feature a pitching matchup between ace right-handers Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer.

Cole, 29, would be making his Yankees debut after signing a nine-year, $324 million contract in December. He opposed Washington in the World Series as a member of the Houston Astros, going 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 14 innings.

Scherzer, 35, is a three-time Cy Young winner. He was limited by back issues last season, but stepped up with five sterling innings in Game 7 to take down Cole’s Astros.

If the regular season opens as planned and the managers see fit to give us this treat, it may be the marquee pitching matchup of the entire season.

According to Sherman, most details within the 60-game schedule have already been ironed out. However, the final draft has not been approved as the league considers alternate options and potential complications amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The final schedule is expected to be finalized, approved and announced this coming week.

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