Jackie Robinson Day showcase

Major League Baseball closes Jackie Robinson Day on Wednesday night with the Mets at the Dodgers, the only game on ESPN’s national schedule. (espn.com) (sportingnews.com) First pitch is set for 10 p.m. Eastern time, or 7:10 p.m. in Los Angeles, from Dodger Stadium. ESPN said Joe Buck will call the game with Ron Darling and Orel Hershiser, with Buster Olney reporting. (sportingnews.com) (espnpressroom.com) The game is also ESPN’s first Major League Baseball telecast of 2026 under a 30-game regular-season package the network announced in December. ESPN said its Baseball Tonight pregame show will originate from Dodger Stadium with Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, Doug Glanville and Tim Kurkjian. (espnpressroom.com 1) (espnpressroom.com 2) ESPN is using the night to switch its Major League Baseball coverage to 1080p high dynamic range, a video format with more detail, brighter highlights and deeper contrast than standard high-definition feeds. The network’s coordinating producer, Scott Gustafson, said the change begins with the Jackie Robinson Day game in Los Angeles. (sportsvideo.org) The date marks the 79th anniversary of Robinson’s April 15, 1947, debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the game that broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier. Major League Baseball said all on-field personnel across the league will wear Robinson’s No. 42 on Wednesday. (mlb.com) Jackie Robinson Day has been an annual league event since 2004, and the all-42 uniform tradition spread across the sport after Ken Griffey Jr. asked to wear the number in 2007. Major League Baseball retired No. 42 throughout the majors in 1997, with players already wearing it allowed to keep it until they left the field. (usatoday.com) (mlb.com) The Dodgers carry the strongest tie to the day because Robinson debuted for Brooklyn, and the franchise’s home game in Los Angeles has become the centerpiece of the league’s April 15 calendar. This year’s national window also lands one season before the 80th anniversary in 2027. (mlb.com) (espn.com) So the night is doing two jobs at once: Major League Baseball is staging its annual tribute to Robinson, and ESPN is using the same stage to debut a sharper production format for its baseball coverage. By first pitch, every player on the field will be wearing 42. (mlb.com) (sportsvideo.org)