How to watch, what to watch for on July 4 of the 2022 MLB regular season

Some of the most iconic aspects of the Fourth of July holiday are being outside, grilling and watching baseball games. There are several games on tap Monday, with the earliest one starting before we even reach noon on the East coast. Overall, there are 14 games happening, including a doubleheader, which means there are 26 teams in action on the holiday.

Here’s some insight as to what’s on the slate for July 4th.

Best Games To Watch

The best game of the day probably comes in the early afternoon slate, with the Tampa Bay Rays taking on the Boston Red Sox, with the first pitch coming at 1:35 p.m EST. The two teams have both been playing well recently and they sit just a half-game apart in the standings, with the Sox holding a 2-1 season series lead over the Rays.

Another fun game on the slate is the defending World Series Champions Atlanta Braves taking on the St. Louis Cardinals. Both teams sit in second place in their division, with Atlanta closing ground quickly on the New York Mets.

Fantasy Spotlight

Alek Manoah is on the hill today for the Blue Jays, which probably means good things for Toronto. He’s taking on the Oakland A’s, who are one of the worst teams in the Majors. Manoah has been dealing and has allowed just 17 earned runs and struck out 53 in his last 63.2 innings tossed.

On the hitting side of things, Paul Goldschmidt is an interesting play. He’s averaging double-digit fantasy points this season at 10.8 per game for the Cardinals. Over his last 10 games, he’s hitting .361, which is just slightly higher than his average on the season of .341.

Rookies to Watch

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez is the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors this season (-140). He’s never faced Padres starter Sean Manna, but he’s on fire recently. He’s hit five home runs in his last 10 games. He doesn’t just have major power numbers either, with an average of .314 over that span too.

MLB regular season schedule for 4th of July

If no streaming option is listed, game is available on MLB.tv pending blackout restrictions. All game times listed are ET.

Marlins vs. Nationals, 11:05 a.m.
Rangers vs. Orioles, 1:05 p.m.
Guardians vs. Tigers, 12:10 p.m. (Game 1)
Rays vs. Red Sox, 1:35 p.m.
Cubs vs. Brewers, 4:20 p.m.
Royals vs. Astros, 4:10 p.m. on ESPN+
Giants vs. Diamondbacks, 6:10 p.m.
Mets vs. Reds, 6:40 p.m.
Mariners vs. Padres, 6:40 p.m.
Guardians vs. Tigers 6:40 p.m. (Game 2)
Cardinals vs. Braves, 7:20 p.m.
Twins vs. White Sox, 8:10 p.m.
Blue Jays vs. A’s, 9:07 p.m.
Rockies vs. Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.