Baltimore Orioles Dwight Smith Jr. is joining a bunch of MLB stars to play their version of social-distancing baseball.
Starting today, 30 MLB stars including one Baltimore Orioles player are playing in an “MLB the Show” virtual tournament.
The online league starts tonight and will continue for around three weeks. According to MLB.com, each player will have 29 games, one against all of the players in the league. Eventually, the league will eliminate the losing players and move on to a eight-man best-of-five postseason.
Fans can interact with their favorite players live on different streaming services, including Twitch.
This exciting announcement gives fans a bit of virtually real baseball from the comfort of their homes. But, it also provides some significant donations to notable charities.
Sony Interactive Entertainment, MLB, and the MLB Players Association will donate to their local Boys & Girls Club. The local affiliates will receive $5,000 from each player. Because Dwight Smith Jr.is involved, the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore will receive $5,000. If he moves up to the championship, they will receive an additional $25,000. By the time the tournament is over, $175,000 will be donated.
More from Orioles News
- Baltimore Orioles Sign RP Mychal Givens
- Gunnar Henderson: Destroyer of Four-Seam Fastballs
- Which Current Baltimore Orioles Pitchers Have the Best Curveballs?
- Orioles News: Should the O’s Pursue Eovaldi? + More MLB News
- Should the Baltimore Orioles Consider Signing Nathan Eovaldi?
Along with Smith, the AL East will be represented by Bo Bichette, Blake Snell, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Tommy Kahnle. Snell is a regular gamer who is popular on Twitch. He will be tough competition for the rest of the MLB players.
While this might not be the same as watching an actual game in a stadium, it does provide fans with immediate access to their favorite players. This 30-man tournament was preceded by a small four-man tournament with Trevor May, Hunter Pence, Blake Snell, and Amir Garrett, who eventually won the tournament, defeating Snell in the championship.
MLB Network’s Robert Flores is the host of the tournament. He will provide color commentary and player interviews.
There are several streaming options for fans to watch the virtual tournament. Players with their own ‘MLB the Show 20’ will stream on their own channels. All 30 MLB teams will stream the games on their club websites. You can also watch on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube through Las Mayores and MLB Network Social. For quick links, visit MLB the Show and click your favorite format.