Presenting our non-roster #SpringTraining invitees! 📝 pic.twitter.com/LvXwBVjwri
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) February 13, 2021
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the Rogers Sportsnet press release and adding the March 26 game as a Sportsnet TV/Radio contest.
The 2021 Toronto Blue Jays will start their spring training and regular season in Dunedin, Florida. The 2020 version eventually settled on Sahlen Field in Buffalo after flirting with Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
The Buffalo Bisons are expected to play in the new Triple A-East (WTF, MLB). The only stadium of considerable size and availability in the eastern part of the continent is Olympic Stadium in Montréal. The 2021 Grapefruit League schedule doesn't allow for a trip to Montréal or anywhere in Canada.
The 2021 Grapefruit League opponents are limited to the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Baltimore as MLB wants to cut down on travel. The Blue Jays are running night games in the final week to get used to the stadium at night for the regular season.
Here is the overall 2021 Toronto Blue Jays spring training schedule:
February 28 @ NY Yankees
March 1 Pittsburgh
March 2 Philadelphia
March 3 @ NY Yankees (6:35 pm)
March 4 @ Detroit
March 5 Baltimore
March 6 Philadelphia
March 7 @ Detroit
March 9 Philadelphia
March 10 @ Baltimore
March 11 Detroit
March 12 @ Pittsburgh
March 13 Baltimore
March 14 NY Yankees
March 15 @ Detroit
March 16 @ Philadelphia
March 17 NY Yankees
March 19 @ Detroit
March 20 @ Philadelphia
March 21 NY Yankees
March 22 Detroit (6:37 pm)
March 23 @ Philadelphia (6:05 pm)
March 24 @ NY Yankees
March 25 Detroit (6:37 pm)
March 26 Philadelphia (6:37 pm)
March 27 @ NY Yankees
March 28 Detroit
March 29 @ Philadelphia
All starting times at 1:07 pm (home) and 1:05 pm (road) unless noted. There are no split-squad games for the 2021 preseason.
The big Rogers Sportsnet news is that the games will be a TV/radio simulcast. Dan Shulman, Buck Martinez, and Pat Tabler will be on Rogers Sportsnet and on the radio.
On the radio side, Ben Wagner will help out in the studio. The Blue Jays laid off Mike Wilner over the winter; Wilner now works for the Toronto Star as a baseball columnist.
Rogers Sportsnet didn't produced a single spring training game in 2020. They would have produced the games in Montréal but the plan was to carry the opposing feeds in Florida. Spring training games are about pumping up your base, not listening to the YES crew talk about how great the New York Yankees are.
The Sportsnet schedule has 4 games that will air on the Sportsnet radio network. Those look to be the only games Rogers will produce with the rest featuring the other team's feed.
February 28 @ NY Yankees
March 12 @ Pittsburgh
March 15 @ Detroit
March 20 @ Philadelphia
March 21 NY Yankees*
March 22 Detroit (6:37 pm)*
March 24 @ NY Yankees
March 26 Philadelphia (6:37 pm)*
March 27 @ NY Yankees
March 28 Detroit*
March 29 @ Philadelphia
* games that will also air on the Sportsnet Radio Network: sportsnet.ca or the Sportsnet Radio Network: Sportsnet 590 The FAN (Toronto); Sportsnet 960 The FAN (Calgary); and Sportsnet 650 (Vancouver).
MLB Network will have Toronto Blue Jays spring training games. Most of them will be on tape delay but the spring opener will be live on the U.S. channel.
The 30 Clubs in 30 Days Blue Jays preview will air on Monday at 7 pm Eastern.
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The 2020 Toronto Blue Jays didn't play before any fans outside of spring training. The Blue Jays will allow 15% capacity with health and safety protocols in Dunedin. As part of the renovation, TD Ballpark has a new capacity of 8,500 so the reduced capacity is 1,275.
Some of the new health and safety protocols include:
- Tickets sold in pods of two or four seats, spaced a minimum of six feet apart
- Face coverings required for entry; fans aged two and older are required to wear them in the ballpark, except when eating or drinking in their seats
- Mobile ticketing required for entry to limit touchpoints
- Symptom screening prior to entry
- Concession stands will feature social distance markers and prepackaged food and utensils
- Hand sanitizing stations available throughout the stadium
- No player autographs
The 2021 Toronto Blue Jays, wherever they play their home games, open the season April 1 in New York against the Yankees.
Twitter capture and photo credit: @Blue Jays; Toronto Blue Jays
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