New details are surfacing about how the delayed MLB season might resume. Officials are reportedly considering playing a shortened regular season of 100 games as well as shaking up the postseason by playing the World Series at a warm-weather neutral site.
According to Chicago-based baseball columnist Matt Spiegel, team executives are discussing a July 1 start for the regular season. This would involve eliminating the planned All-Star break and commencing the season with the slate of games initially planned for after the Summer Classic. To get 100 games in from that “best case scenario” date, the season would run until October 15, leaving officials to adjust the typical postseason format.
Dodger Stadium was set to host the 2020 All-Star Game. However, upon its likely cancellation, league officials are proposing hosting the entirety of the World Series from LA, Spiegel reports. This option would of course appease locals who had planned on attending the All-Star festivities, but also provides the league with a warm-weather site that could become crucial given the late-fall schedule. Should the Dodgers end up in the Series, other area ballparks like Angel Stadium or Petco Park could be utilized for road games.
This goal would likely only come to fruition if the COVID-19 spread slows down in the coming weeks. The league has delayed its official start until at least mid-May. That best case scenario timeframe would still need to account for a training period of up to four weeks, falling closely in line with the proposed Opening Day of July 1. However, new guidelines put in place or stay-at-home orders affecting portions of the country could further extend the season’s start.
Since suspending its operations last month, Major League Baseball has remained adamant about putting on a 2020 season. Various reports have come about detailing how exactly games will commence, from early games with no fans admitted to piling up double headers. No matter how the league proceeds, Commissioner Rob Manfred has made a clear promise that in time, baseball will be back.
