Five things you need to know: Yankees vs. Braves on BBC this Sunday
The Atlanta Braves welcome the New York Yankees to Georgia this Sunday to kick off a brand new series of MLB Bases Covered Live! on BBC! Here are five things you need to know before the sides face off at Truist Park. Tune in for the game on Sunday, July 20, from 6:30 p.m. BST.
1. The Yankees’ Aaron Judge is chasing a third MVP Award of his career this year, and the second in as many seasons. The star slugger -- who has led MLB in home runs three times -- recently hit his 350th big league homer, becoming the fastest man in baseball history to reach the mark.
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2. If Judge is the Yankees' man to watch, then the Braves’ has to be Ronald Acuña Jr. The 2023 National League MVP only returned to the field in May after spending a year on the sidelines with a torn ACL, but he has wasted no time getting back to his best. After an electric couple of months, the Venezuelan outfielder was named to the All-Star Game for the fifth time in his career.
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3. After losing last year’s World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Yankees are well-placed to make a return to the postseason. This time around, they'll be looking to win baseball’s biggest price for the first time since 2009 and add to their MLB-record 27 titles. The Braves, meanwhile, last won it all in 2021 and have been Postseason staples since 2018. This year, however, they have been distanced from the leading pack and are in need of a huge second half if they are to once again play October baseball.
4. Sunday’s game concludes the only regular-season series between the two sides this year. The Yankees have the edge in the overall head-to-head record, with a 42-30 advantage over the Braves across regular-season and postseason games.
5. Truist Park -- the venue for this series -- officially opened in 2017 with a preseason exhibition game against none other than the Yankees, which was won 8-5 by the Braves. The ballpark sits 10 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta, at the centre of the Battery district, an entertainment complex that was built alongside the ballpark’s construction and features hotels, venues, shopping and restaurants.
Watch live on BBC Sport & BBC iPlayer on Sunday, July 20, from 6:30 p.m. BST. Available on other European broadcasters. Click here for more information.