With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, all outdoor and team games came to an abrupt stop. But things are finally looking better now. While the scientists are racing away to find a vaccine, some brave sportspersons are also returning to the grounds to entertain their audience. Pro-baseball players will soon return to the turf as the MLB season 2020 plan was recently approved.
At the beginning of July, all 30 teams started their basic training. By 23rd July, the games will be in full swing. The league has decided to schedule a 60-game regular season with subsequent playoffs. Fans are super excited since they were eagerly waiting for the games to resume, ever since the lockdown started in March.
2020 MLB Season Game Plan
The schedule is tailor-made to cut down on travel to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Each team will host training camps at their own ballparks. When the regular season resumes, each organization will take part in 10 games each, against the other 4 in their divisions. They will also play 20 interleague games against foes in the same geographical region. Hence no team will play against any opponents outside these 2 divisions.
Major Changes
Apart from the change in match-ups, there are some other changes as well. The designated-hitter rule will be in use by both the American and National Leagues in MLB season 2020. Extra-innings will be kept as short as possible, with a runner at the second base at the beginning of each half-inning.
The next change will be that, if there are interruptions for the weather, the game will continue from where it was left. No more restart! Some changes made in the off-season will continue, including a three-batter minimum for each reliever.
Each team will be allowed to bring 60 players to camp and a 30-man roster. Transactions have also opened, with 31st August as the deadline for the MLB season 2020. There will be no postseason changes. Forbes reports: “Five teams from each league—the three divisional champions and two Wild Card squads—will compete for the World Series starting with a Wild Card game, then a best-of-five Division Series, followed by best-of-seven matchups for both the league pennant and World Series.”
MLB League Schedule
1st July: Home training camps resume
23rd-24th July: Opening day
31st August: Trading deadline
15th September: Deadline for adding players to the roster for postseason eligibility
27th September: Expected end of the regular season
The Nationals will host the Yankees on Opening Day in a matchup between last year’s champion and this year’s co-favorite.
The Nationals will be the first defending World Series champions to open their season against the Yankees since the 2005 Red Sox. pic.twitter.com/iFM89kFVBw
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 27, 2020
2020 MLB Season Projected Win Totals
SBD has opening MLB odds as do many other sites for all baseball enthusiasts! Here are the projected win totals, as per Forbes:
- Los Angeles Dodgers: 37
- New York Yankees: 36.5
- Minnesota Twins: 34.5
- Houston Astros: 34.5
- Tampa Bay Rays: 34
- Oakland Athletics: 33.5
- Atlanta Braves: 33
- Washington Nationals: 32.5
- New York Mets: 32
- Cleveland Indians: 32
- Chicago White Sox: 31.5
- Los Angeles Angels: 31.5
- Arizona Diamondbacks: 31.5
- Cincinnati Reds: 31.5
- Chicago Cubs: 31.5
- St. Louis Cardinals: 31.5
- Philadelphia Phillies: 31
- San Diego Padres: 31
- Boston Red Sox: 30.5
- Milwaukee Brewers: 30.5
- Texas Rangers: 29
- Toronto Blue Jays: 28.5
- Colorado Rockies: 27
- Kansas City Royals: 25
- Pittsburgh Pirates: 25
- San Francisco Giants: 24.5
- Seattle Mariners: 24
- Miami Marlins: 23.5
- Detroit Tigers: 21.5
- Baltimore Orioles: 20.5
World Series Odds
- Los Angeles Dodgers +375
- New York Yankees +450
- Houston Astros +1200
- Minnesota Twins +2000
- Atlanta Braves +2200
- Oakland Athletics +2200
- New York Mets +2500
- St.Louis Cardinals +2500
- Tampa Bay Rays +2800
- Chicago White Sox +3000
- Cincinnati Reds +3000
- Los Angeles Angels +3000
- Washington Nationals +3000
- Chicago Cubs +3300
- Cleveland Indians +3300
- Philadelphia Phillies +4000
- Boston Red Sox +5000
- Milwaukee Brewers +5000
- San Diego Padres +5000
- Arizona Diamondbacks +6600
- Texas Rangers +10000
- Toronto Blue Jays +12500
- Colorado Rockies +15000
- San Francisco Giants +15000
- Kansas City Royals +25000
- Seattle Mariners +25000
- Baltimore Orioles +30000
- Detroit Tigers +30000
- Pittsburgh Pirates +30000
- Miami Marlins +40000
Safety Protocol
- Team personnels who will not participate in the game have to sit in the stands, with six feet distance in-between.
- No celebratory high-fives or fist bumps. Only verbal communications.
- No spitting or chewing of sunflower seeds or tobacco.
- Baserunners, fielders, coaches, and umpires on-field must have as much physical distance between themselves as possible.
- Balls will be thrown after it has been touched by multiple players.
- No more postgame showers.
- Players will be temperature-screened multiple times each day. There will be multiple tests per week for coronavirus as well. Anyone testing positive will be immediately quarantined. Two negative tests will be required for a possible return.
That mostly covers how the MLB season 2020 is going to move forward. While we hope for the safety of everyone involved, we really can’t wait for the games to begin!