2017 MLB season | |
---|---|
League | Major League Baseball |
Sport | Baseball |
Duration | April 2 – November 1, 2017 |
Number of games | 162 |
Number of teams | 30 |
TV partner(s) | Fox/FS1, TBS, ESPN, MLB Network |
Draft | |
Top draft pick | Royce Lewis |
Picked by | Minnesota Twins |
Regular season | |
Season MVP | AL: Jose Altuve (HOU) NL: Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) |
Postseason | |
AL champions | Houston Astros |
AL runners-up | New York Yankees |
NL champions | Los Angeles Dodgers |
NL runners-up | Chicago Cubs |
World Series | |
Champions | Houston Astros |
Runners-up | Los Angeles Dodgers |
World Series MVP | George Springer (HOU) |
The 2017 Major League Baseball season began on April 2 with three games, including the 2016 World Series champions Chicago Cubs facing off against the St. Louis Cardinals, the regular season ended in late September. The postseason began on October 3. The World Series began October 24 and Game 7 was played on November 1, in which the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games, to capture their first World Series championship in franchise history.
The 88th Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 11 at Marlins Park, the home of the Miami Marlins. For the first time since 2002 when the game ended in a tie, the All Star Game did not determine home field advantage for the World Series. Instead, home field advantage was awarded to the team with the better regular season record. The American League won 2–1 in 10 innings. [1] [2]
After the 2019 season, Mike Fiers alleged that the 2017 Astros used technology to illicitly steal their opponents' signs and relay it to their hitters. The Astros used this method throughout the 2017 season, and part of the 2018 season. [3] MLB and the Astros opened an investigation into this sign stealing allegation. [4] MLB found the Astros used technology to cheat during their 2017 season and suspended Astros' manager A. J. Hinch and Astros' general manager Jeff Luhnow for one year; [5] the Astros fired Luhnow and Hinch the same day. Alex Cora, who was the Astros bench coach in 2017 and the Red Sox manager from 2018 to 2019, parted ways with the Red Sox after the scandal broke. [6] [7]
As has been the case since 2013, all teams played their four division opponents 19 times each for a total of 76 games. They played six or seven games against each of the other ten same-league opponents for a total of 66 games, and 20 inter-league games. The primary inter-league match-ups were AL East vs. NL Central, AL Central vs. NL West, and AL West vs. NL East. Teams also played four games against a designated interleague rival.
On March 9, it was announced that the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals would play a game at the minor league BB&T Ballpark in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on August 20. The game coincided with the Little League World Series, held annually in nearby South Williamsport, and was exclusively attended by Little League players and their families. [8] [9]
As a consequence of Hurricane Harvey damaging the Houston area, the three-game Lone Star Series between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros from August 29 to 31 was moved from Minute Maid Park to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. [10] Although the Astros were the designated home team, they wore their away uniforms during the series while the Rangers wore their home uniforms. [11] The Astros returned to Minute Maid Park for a three-game series with the New York Mets, beginning with a split doubleheader on September 2. [12]
The Tampa Bay Rays' three-game set with the New York Yankees from September 11 to 13 was moved from Tropicana Field to Queens' Citi Field due to Hurricane Irma's impending landfall on the Tampa Bay Area. [13]
Irma's damage to South Florida also forced the Miami Marlins' three-game set with the Milwaukee Brewers from September 15 to 17 to move from Marlins Park to the Brewers' home field at Miller Park, with the Marlins as the designated home team. [14] Similar to the Rangers–Astros series in Tampa Bay, the Marlins wore their away uniforms as the 'home' team, while the Brewers wore their home uniforms as the 'away' team. [15]
In March 2017, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association agreed to seven rule changes. [16]
Furthermore, the collective bargaining agreement that goes in effect this season prohibits any player who makes plays his first game starting in the 2017 season from using tobacco at any time in a stadium, in official interviews, or appearances. Players who had service are not permitted to use tobacco in interviews or appearances, and cannot display any tobacco packages. [17]
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(3) Boston Red Sox | 93 | 69 | .574 | — | 48–33 | 45–36 |
(4) New York Yankees | 91 | 71 | .562 | 2 | 51–30 | 40–41 |
Tampa Bay Rays | 80 | 82 | .494 | 13 | 42–39 | 38–43 |
Toronto Blue Jays | 76 | 86 | .469 | 17 | 42–39 | 34–47 |
Baltimore Orioles | 75 | 87 | .463 | 18 | 46–35 | 29–52 |
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(1) Cleveland Indians | 102 | 60 | .630 | — | 49–32 | 53–28 |
(5) Minnesota Twins | 85 | 77 | .525 | 17 | 41–40 | 44–37 |
Kansas City Royals | 80 | 82 | .494 | 22 | 43–38 | 37–44 |
Chicago White Sox | 67 | 95 | .414 | 35 | 39–42 | 28–53 |
Detroit Tigers | 64 | 98 | .395 | 38 | 34–47 | 30–51 |
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(2) Houston Astros | 101 | 61 | .623 | — | 48–33 | 53–28 |
Los Angeles Angels | 80 | 82 | .494 | 21 | 43–38 | 37–44 |
Seattle Mariners | 78 | 84 | .481 | 23 | 40–41 | 38–43 |
Texas Rangers | 78 | 84 | .481 | 23 | 41–40 | 37–44 |
Oakland Athletics | 75 | 87 | .463 | 26 | 46–35 | 29–52 |
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(2) Washington Nationals | 97 | 65 | .599 | — | 47–34 | 50–31 |
Miami Marlins | 77 | 85 | .475 | 20 | 42–36 | 35–49 |
Atlanta Braves | 72 | 90 | .444 | 25 | 37–44 | 35–46 |
New York Mets | 70 | 92 | .432 | 27 | 37–44 | 33–48 |
Philadelphia Phillies | 66 | 96 | .407 | 31 | 39–42 | 27–54 |
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(3) Chicago Cubs | 92 | 70 | .568 | — | 48–33 | 44–37 |
Milwaukee Brewers | 86 | 76 | .531 | 6 | 46–38 | 40–38 |
St. Louis Cardinals | 83 | 79 | .512 | 9 | 44–37 | 39–42 |
Pittsburgh Pirates | 75 | 87 | .463 | 17 | 44–37 | 31–50 |
Cincinnati Reds | 68 | 94 | .420 | 24 | 39–42 | 29–52 |
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(1) Los Angeles Dodgers | 104 | 58 | .642 | — | 57–24 | 47–34 |
(4) Arizona Diamondbacks | 93 | 69 | .574 | 11 | 52–29 | 41–40 |
(5) Colorado Rockies | 87 | 75 | .537 | 17 | 46–35 | 41–40 |
San Diego Padres | 71 | 91 | .438 | 33 | 43–38 | 28–53 |
San Francisco Giants | 64 | 98 | .395 | 40 | 38–43 | 26–55 |
Wild Card Games (ALWC, NLWC) | Division Series (ALDS, NLDS) | League Championship Series (ALCS, NLCS) | World Series | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Cleveland | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | NY Yankees | 1 | 4 | NY Yankees | 3 | ||||||||||||||
5 | Minnesota | 0 | American League | 4 | NY Yankees | 3 | |||||||||||||
2 | Houston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Houston | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Boston | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
AL2 | Houston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
NL1 | LA Dodgers | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | LA Dodgers | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | Arizona | 1 | 4 | Arizona | 0 | ||||||||||||||
5 | Colorado | 0 | National League | 1 | LA Dodgers | 4 | |||||||||||||
3 | Chicago Cubs | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Washington | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Chicago Cubs | 3 |
Team | Former GM | Reason for leaving | New GM | Story/accomplishments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arizona Diamondbacks | Dave Stewart | Fired | Mike Hazen | On October 3, 2016, General Manager Dave Stewart was fired, along with field manager Chip Hale. [18] On October 16, 2016, Mike Hazen agreed to become the Executive Vice President and General Manager. [19] |
Boston Red Sox | Mike Hazen | Resigned | Dave Dombrowski (de facto) | On October 16, 2016, Mike Hazen agreed to become the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. [19] Dave Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations, assumed the role without making a formal announcement. |
Minnesota Twins | Rob Antony | Interim | Thad Levine | On November 3, 2016, The Twins hired Thad Levine as their new Senior VP and General Manager. Levine will replace interim GM Rob Antony. [20] |
Team | Former manager | Reason for leaving | New manager | Story/accomplishments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arizona Diamondbacks | Chip Hale | Fired | Torey Lovullo | On October 3, 2016, Chip Hale was fired as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. [21] Hale finished with a 148–176 record with no playoff appearances in his two seasons as manager. On November 4, 2016, Torey Lovullo was hired as the new manager. [22] |
Atlanta Braves | Fredi González | Brian Snitker | On October 11, 2016, Brian Snitker was named as the new manager of the Atlanta Braves after completing the 2016 season as the interim manager. [23] Snitker took over for Fredi González on May 17, 2016, and finished the season with a 59–65 record. | |
Chicago White Sox | Robin Ventura | Resigned | Rick Renteria | At the conclusion of the 2016 regular season, Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura resigned. On October 3, 2016, Rick Renteria became the team's new manager. [24] Ventura finished his five seasons in Chicago with a record of 375–435 with no playoff appearances. |
Colorado Rockies | Walt Weiss | Bud Black | On October 3, 2016, Walt Weiss resigned as manager of the Colorado Rockies after four years without a winning record or a playoff appearance. [25] Weiss finished with a 283–365 record during his tenure. On November 6, 2016, the Rockies announced they were hiring Bud Black as manager. [26] |
Stat | Player | Total |
---|---|---|
AVG | Jose Altuve (HOU) | .346 |
OPS | Mike Trout (LAA) | 1.071 |
HR | Aaron Judge (NYY) | 52 |
RBI | Nelson Cruz (SEA) | 119 |
R | Aaron Judge (NYY) | 128 |
H | Jose Altuve (HOU) | 204 |
SB | Whit Merrifield (KC) | 34 |
Stat | Player | Total |
---|---|---|
W | Carlos Carrasco (CLE) Corey Kluber (CLE) Jason Vargas (KC) | 18 |
L | Rick Porcello (BOS) | 17 |
ERA | Corey Kluber (CLE) | 2.25 |
K | Chris Sale (BOS) | 308 |
IP | Chris Sale (BOS) | 214.1 |
SV | Álex Colomé (TB) | 47 |
WHIP | Corey Kluber (CLE) | 0.869 |
Stat | Player | Total |
---|---|---|
AVG | Charlie Blackmon (COL) | .331 |
OPS | Joey Votto (CIN) | 1.032 |
HR | Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) | 59 |
RBI | Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) | 132 |
R | Charlie Blackmon (COL) | 137 |
H | Charlie Blackmon (COL) | 213 |
SB | Dee Gordon (MIA) | 60 |
Stat | Player | Total |
---|---|---|
W | Clayton Kershaw (LAD) | 18 |
L | Tyler Chatwood (COL) Matt Moore (SF) Clayton Richard (SD) Jeff Samardzija (SF) | 15 |
ERA | Clayton Kershaw (LAD) | 2.31 |
K | Max Scherzer (WSH) | 268 |
IP | Jeff Samardzija (SF) | 207.2 |
SV | Greg Holland (COL) Kenley Jansen (LAD) | 41 |
WHIP | Max Scherzer (WSH) | 0.902 |
Fielding Bible Awards | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Player | |||||||
Pitcher | Dallas Keuchel (HOU) | |||||||
Catcher | Martin Maldonado (LAA) | |||||||
1st Base | Paul Goldschmidt (AZ) | |||||||
2nd Base | DJ LeMahieu (COL) | |||||||
3rd Base | Nolan Arenado (COL) | |||||||
Shortstop | Andrelton Simmons (LAA) | |||||||
Left Field | Brett Gardner (NYY) | |||||||
Center Field | Byron Buxton (MIN) | |||||||
Right Field | Mookie Betts (BOS) | |||||||
Multi-position | Javier Baez (CHC) |
Player of the Month
| Pitcher of the Month
|
Rookie of the Month
| Reliever of the Month
|
Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game | Est. payroll | %± |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Dodgers [88] | 104 | 14.3% | 3,765,856 | 1.7% | 46,492 | $201,466,263 | −12.9% |
St. Louis Cardinals [89] | 83 | −3.5% | 3,448,337 | 0.1% | 42,572 | $129,652,933 | −13.8% |
San Francisco Giants [90] | 64 | −26.4% | 3,303,652 | −1.8% | 40,786 | $177,399,833 | 0.2% |
Toronto Blue Jays [91] | 76 | −14.6% | 3,203,886 | −5.5% | 39,554 | $158,890,575 | −13.0% |
Chicago Cubs [92] | 92 | −10.7% | 3,199,562 | −1.0% | 39,501 | $177,210,667 | 0.6% |
New York Yankees [93] | 91 | 8.3% | 3,154,938 | 3.0% | 38,950 | $182,424,700 | −5.6% |
Los Angeles Angels [94] | 80 | 8.1% | 3,019,585 | 0.1% | 37,279 | $181,125,500 | 29.6% |
Colorado Rockies [95] | 87 | 16.0% | 2,953,650 | 13.5% | 36,465 | $106,650,000 | 18.9% |
Boston Red Sox [96] | 93 | 0.0% | 2,917,678 | −1.3% | 36,021 | $200,550,750 | −8.3% |
Milwaukee Brewers [97] | 86 | 17.8% | 2,627,705 | 13.5% | 31,282 | $68,439,300 | 31.4% |
Washington Nationals [98] | 97 | 2.1% | 2,524,980 | 1.7% | 31,173 | $175,587,301 | 14.8% |
Texas Rangers [99] | 78 | −17.9% | 2,507,760 | −7.5% | 30,960 | $207,326,274 | −2.3% |
Atlanta Braves [100] | 72 | 5.9% | 2,505,252 | 24.0% | 30,929 | $119,705,250 | 59.6% |
New York Mets [101] | 70 | −19.5% | 2,460,622 | −11.8% | 30,378 | $176,615,252 | 13.8% |
Houston Astros [102] | 101 | 20.2% | 2,403,671 | 4.2% | 29,675 | $157,656,400 | 76.2% |
Detroit Tigers [103] | 64 | −25.6% | 2,321,599 | −6.9% | 28,662 | $118,375,600 | −40.8% |
Kansas City Royals [104] | 80 | −1.2% | 2,220,370 | −13.2% | 27,412 | $127,555,817 | 1.9% |
San Diego Padres [105] | 71 | 4.4% | 2,138,491 | −9.1% | 26,401 | $49,248,767 | −2.8% |
Seattle Mariners [106] | 78 | −9.3% | 2,135,445 | −5.8% | 26,364 | $172,438,700 | 25.7% |
Arizona Diamondbacks [107] | 93 | 34.8% | 2,134,375 | 4.8% | 26,350 | $106,580,200 | 35.9% |
Minnesota Twins [108] | 85 | 44.1% | 2,051,279 | 4.4% | 25,324 | $103,932,500 | 11.4% |
Cleveland Indians [109] | 102 | 8.5% | 2,048,138 | 28.7% | 25,286 | $114,427,167 | 21.1% |
Baltimore Orioles [110] | 75 | −15.7% | 2,028,424 | −6.6% | 25,042 | $161,621,633 | 5.1% |
Pittsburgh Pirates [111] | 75 | −3.8% | 1,919,447 | −14.7% | 23,697 | $102,953,333 | 26.8% |
Philadelphia Phillies [112] | 66 | −7.0% | 1,905,354 | −0.5% | 23,523 | $86,276,000 | 1.7% |
Cincinnati Reds [113] | 68 | 0.0% | 1,836,917 | −3.0% | 22,678 | $79,315,786 | 2.6% |
Chicago White Sox [114] | 67 | −14.1% | 1,629,470 | −6.7% | 20,117 | $97,842,000 | −13.7% |
Miami Marlins [115] | 77 | −2.5% | 1,583,014 | −7.6% | 20,295 | $111,591,100 | 54.0% |
Oakland Athletics [116] | 75 | 8.7% | 1,475,721 | −3.0% | 18,219 | $51,560,000 | −6.2% |
Tampa Bay Rays [117] | 80 | 17.6% | 1,253,619 | −2.5% | 15,477 | $79,473,033 | 64.8% |
For the 2017 season, the TrackMan component of Major League Baseball's Statcast platform has replaced the previous PITCHf/x system for official measurements of pitch speed. The new system uses a doppler radar to calculate pitch speed based on maximum velocity (typically from the release of the pitch), rather than the speed measured 55 feet (17 m) from home plate. The change in data source has led to discrepancies in pitch speed reports between those reported in 2016 and 2017, with some pitches registering slightly higher speeds than with the previous system. [118] [119]
The Arizona Diamondbacks tweaked their uniform set that was unveiled last season. The pant stripes now reach to the hip, while the gradient below was removed. The road uniform lettering is also changed to improve visibility.
The San Diego Padres unveiled new home and road uniforms, with noticeable changes such as the team name and the removal of yellow on the home uniforms, the bowtie-shaped lettering in the city name on the road uniforms, and the interlocking "SD" on both uniforms.
The Kansas City Royals unveiled an updated version of their gold-trimmed white uniform, featuring gold numbers and blue lettering. It was paired with a blue cap featuring the gold 'KC' lettering, and was worn on Friday home games.
The Washington Nationals unveiled a white alternate uniform featuring the 'curly W' logo in a Stars and Stripes design. It was paired with two caps featuring the 'curly W' Stars and Stripes design: a navy cap with red brim, and a red cap with navy brim. The uniforms were worn during patriotic-themed and weekend day games.
Coinciding with Canada's 150th anniversary, the Toronto Blue Jays unveiled a red alternate uniform featuring a monochrome red rendition of the team's logo, complete with red belts, socks and cleats, and a red cap featuring the maple leaf logo. It was worn on Sunday home games and select other games in the month of July. They also promoted their white-paneled home caps to alternate status after wearing them once the past two seasons.
The Cleveland Indians retired their cream alternate uniforms. The red caps that were formerly paired with the cream uniforms will now be worn with the navy alternates at select home games.
The Cincinnati Reds changed their caps on Military Appreciation nights from camo to olive, with a white horseshoe "C".
The Pittsburgh Pirates changed their caps on Thursday home games to mustard, while still wearing their camo jerseys.
The New York Mets changed the brim of their home alternate caps from orange to blue, while the Mr. Met patch on both alternate uniforms were replaced with the primary Mets logo.
All spring training uniforms in 2017 featured a pattern on the names and numbers. The pattern was the same for all 30 teams. In addition, seven teams unveiled new caps to be worn for spring training. [120] The New York Yankees introduced a home cap with a pinstripe visor and a road cap with a grey crown and a navy visor. The Seattle Mariners replaced their compass logo with their original M-shaped trident updated in current team colors. The Chicago Cubs added an alternate cap featuring an "angry cub" logo. The Atlanta Braves added a solid navy cap with a tomahawk. Tampa Bay Rays added a powder blue cap with a white front panel, featuring their starburst logo. Cleveland Indians changed the front panel of their cap from white to red. The New York Mets replaced the "Mr. Met" logo with their "NY" logo. [121]
The following teams wore commemorative patches for special occasions:
Team | Special occasion |
---|---|
All teams | Pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness (May 13–14, Mother's Day weekend) |
"Play Ball" patch in partnership with USA Baseball and USA Softball (June 3–4) | |
Blue ribbons for prostate cancer awareness (June 17–18, Father's Day weekend) | |
Gold ribbons for childhood cancer awareness (September 1) | |
Atlanta Braves | First season at SunTrust Park |
Baltimore Orioles | 25th anniversary of Oriole Park at Camden Yards [122] |
Boston Red Sox | 15th anniversary of the Red Sox Foundation (August 18–20) |
Chicago Cubs | 2016 World Series Championship (April 10 and 12) |
Chicago White Sox | Mark Buehrle number retirement (June 24) |
100th anniversary of 1917 World Series championship | |
Cincinnati Reds | Pete Rose statue dedication (June 17) |
Cleveland Indians | Frank Robinson number retirement (May 28) |
Detroit Tigers | "Mr. I" patch in memory of Mike Ilitch |
Houston Astros | "Houston Strong" patch in memory of the victims of Hurricane Harvey (from September 2 onwards) |
Kansas City Royals | "ACE 30" patch in memory of Yordano Ventura [123] |
Los Angeles Angels | In memory of Don Baylor (from August 11 onwards) |
Los Angeles Dodgers | AIDS awareness ribbons (May 15) |
Miami Marlins | 2017 All-Star Game |
Number 16 patch in memory of José Fernández | |
"FELO" patch in memory of Felo Ramírez (from August 30 onwards) | |
Minnesota Twins | 30th anniversary of 1987 World Series championship |
In memory of pitching prospect Yorman Landa (April 3) | |
New York Yankees | Derek Jeter number retirement (May 14) |
Black armband on left sleeve in memory of Gene Michael (from September 7 onwards) | |
Philadelphia Phillies | "DP" patch in memory of Dallas Green |
St. Louis Cardinals | 50th anniversary of 1967 World Series championship (May 16) |
San Francisco Giants | AIDS awareness ribbons (May 15) |
Seattle Mariners | 40th anniversary of the franchise |
Edgar Martínez number retirement (August 12) [124] [125] | |
Texas Rangers | Iván Rodríguez Hall of Fame induction (July 28–30) |
Toronto Blue Jays | 25th anniversary of 1992 World Series championship |
The Cubs wore gold-trimmed numbers and letters on the backs of their shirts April 10 and 12 to mark their winning the 2016 World Series title.
Players, managers, coaches and umpires wore #42 on April 15, the 70th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut in the majors.
On April 17 (Patriots' Day), the Boston Red Sox wore home white jerseys with "BOSTON" written on the front to mark the four-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings. The uniform also sported the 2013 navy-blue circular patch with a white border on the left shoulder saying "B Strong" (with the red B in the classic font featured on the Red Sox's caps).
The Padres wore camouflage uniforms on April 23, Air Force Appreciation Day. They wore them again on June 25, Naval Appreciation Day.
The Reds and Giants wore Spanish language "Los Rojos" and "Gigantes" uniforms May 5, Cinco de Mayo. The Reds wore them again on September 22. The Reds' "Los Rojos" uniforms have "Los Rojos" in the style of the Reds' script wordmark, and do not have the player's number or the "C" on them.
All 30 teams wore pink-colored caps and jerseys, undershirts and socks May 13 and 14, Mother's Day.
The Reds wore camo uniforms May 20, June 6 (the 73rd anniversary of D-Day), August 4 and September 19. The uniforms had the "Reds" script wordmark on their front, instead of the player's number and their "C" logo.
The Orioles wore a uniform with the Flag of Maryland May 20. Their caps featured the Maryland flag, as well.
Teams wore green-colored caps and jerseys, undershirts and socks May 27, May 28 and 29, Memorial Day in the United States. The Blue Jays didn't wear them on May 27 and 28, but did May 29, even though Memorial Day is not a holiday in Toronto, the province of Ontario, or anywhere in Canada. The Rockies wore them again on July 9, which was Military Appreciation Day.
The Rays wore blue "fauxback" uniforms for the first game of a doubleheader against the Athletics June 10.
All teams wore blue-colored caps and jerseys, undershirts and socks June 17 and 18, Father's Day. The Dodgers and Reds wore the uniforms on June 18 only.
All teams wore patriotic jerseys, undershirts and socks July 1–4. The Brewers did not wear them July 1. The Blue Jays wore red caps July 3–4, and their jerseys included a flipped US flag on one sleeve and a Canadian flag on the other during that time.
The Tigers wore their Spanish-language "Tigres" uniforms August 12. The uniforms were based on the uniforms that the Tigers only wore during the 1960 season.
The Mariners wore Spanish-language "Marineros" uniforms September 9.
Teams wore caps with an American flag design September 11, the 16th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The Blue Jays wore caps with both Canadian and American flags.
The Braves wore Spanish-language "Los Bravos" uniforms September 17.
The Reds wore green uniforms September 23. The uniforms have a shamrock on the right sleeve and the Reds script wordmark on the front, instead of the player's number and the "C" logo.
The weekend of August 25–27 was the inaugural Players Weekend, organized jointly by MLB and the MLB Players Association, during which all 30 teams wore special uniforms. The first use of the special uniforms was on August 20 by the Cardinals and Pirates for the MLB Little League Classic, played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, during the 2017 Little League World Series in nearby South Williamsport. Players Weekend also coincided with the final days of the LLWS. The uniforms dramatically differed from regular uniforms in several respects: [126]
The Indians and Royals wore Negro leagues throwbacks May 7. The Indians wore the uniforms of the Cleveland Buckeyes, and the Royals wore the uniforms of the Kansas City Monarchs.
The Red Sox and Cardinals wore 1967 throwbacks May 16 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cardinals' 1967 World Series title.
The Padres wore 1990s throwbacks June 14 and August 2.
The Cubs and Pirates wore Negro leagues throwbacks June 16. The Cubs wore the uniforms of the Leland Giants, while the Pirates wore the uniforms of the Homestead Grays.
The Astros and Mariners wore 1977 throwbacks June 24.
The Indians and Tigers wore Negro leagues throwbacks July 1. The Indians wore the uniforms of the Cleveland Buckeyes, and the Tigers wore the uniforms of the Detroit Stars.
The Padres and Phillies wore 1983 throwbacks July 7 and 9.
The Angels and Rangers wore 1977 throwbacks July 8. The Rangers wore their away throwbacks, even though they were the home team.
The Phillies and Brewers wore 1982 throwbacks July 14–16 as part of a weekend where members of the Brewers' 1982 AL champion team reunited.
The Indians and White Sox wore 1917 throwbacks July 29 to mark the 100th anniversary of the White Sox winning the 1917 World Series title.
The Indians wore red 1970s throwbacks August 12. Their opponents, the Rays, wore their "fauxbacks".
The Reds and Brewers wore Negro leagues throwbacks August 12. The Reds wore the uniforms of the Cincinnati Tigers (which were hand-me-downs from the Reds in the 1930s), and the Brewers wore the uniforms of the Milwaukee Bears.
The Rangers and Astros wore 1999 throwbacks August 12 as part of the Rangers retiring the #7 of 1999 AL MVP Ivan Rodriguez, who played for the 1999 AL West-winning Rangers (the Astros were in the NL Central in 1999, which they won).
The Astros wore 1997 Major League Baseball season throwbacks August 19. The uniforms appeared with the Jackie Robinson 50th anniversary patch, which all teams wore that season.
The Orioles wore 1992 Major League Baseball season throwbacks on August 19. The uniforms were in honor of the first season at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
This was the Atlanta Braves' first season at SunTrust Park in Cumberland, Georgia. It succeeds Turner Field as the Braves' home ballpark. The first regular season game at SunTrust Park was on April 14, 2017, against the San Diego Padres.
There were plans to host some games at Olympic Stadium in London, England during the season but the plans were dropped after a lack of time for negotiations. [127] There was a series played in London in 2019, between the Yankees and the Red Sox.
This was the fourth year of the current eight-year deals with Fox Sports, ESPN and TBS. Fox aired eight weeks of baseball on Saturday Night leading up to the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game which also aired on Fox. Fox then televised Saturday afternoon games for the last four weeks of the regular season. Fox Sports 1 televised games on Tuesday nights and on Saturdays both during the afternoon and night. ESPN televised games on its flagship telecast Sunday Night Baseball , as well as Monday and Wednesday nights. TBS televised Sunday afternoon games for the last 13 weeks of the regular season. Fox and ESPN Sunday Night Baseball telecasts will be exclusive; all other national telecasts will be subject to local blackout. ESPN also had national exclusivity for the Cubs home opener and World Series/NLCS pennant raising ceremony on April 10.
TBS televised the National League Wild Card Game, Division Series, and Championship Series. ESPN televised the American League Wild Card, Fox Sports 1 and MLB Network televised the American League Division Series, and Fox and Fox Sports 1 televised the American League Championship Series. The World Series aired exclusively on Fox for the 18th consecutive year.
Major League Baseball reached an agreement with Facebook to stream 20 games. The streams were simulcasts of one of the teams broadcasts. [128]
CBS Radio's WIP-FM renewed its contract with for Philadelphia Phillies play-by-play for the 2017 season. [129]
ESPN Radio aired its 20th season of national coverage, including Sunday Night Baseball , Saturday games, Opening Day and holiday games, the All-Star Game, and Home Run Derby, and the entire Major League Baseball postseason.
Most of the changes were regarding issues that had been discussed for weeks, but one surprising twist is that home-field advantage in the World Series will no longer be tied to the All-Star Game, as first reported by The Associated Press. Instead, the pennant winner with the better regular-season record will get home-field advantage in the Fall Classic.