MLB Restart: Five things to look out for
After what probably feels like forever for ardent fans of pro baseball, Major League Baseball is finally coming back on July 23rd. Like almost all sports leagues worldwide, MLB was shut down in early 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic swept from country to country. However, after months of planning, the season schedule was released earlier this month, with significant changes made to accommodate the shorter timeframe, and the practicalities of even playing baseball during a pandemic. And with just days to go until MLB resumes again, what should fans be looking out for?
1. Fewer games
Aside from the fact the 2020 MLB campaign will be played behind closed doors for the time being, the biggest change to this season is that there will be 100 fewer games, with the season clocking in at just 60 games, instead of 160. With the season originally due to begin in March, this shorter schedule will also reduce how much teams need to travel during the pandemic. Each team will play 10 games against their divisional rivals (40 games in total), with the remaining 20 fixtures seeing them in competition with teams in the opposite league’s corresponding geographical division (East vs. East, Central vs. Central and West vs. West). All of this sets up the postseason, which will maintain its standard ten-team format including two wildcard teams from each league.
This could make the playoffs more intriguing than ever, as it gives unlikely teams a much greater chance of sneaking in. For instance, after 60 games of the 2019 season, the Texas Rangers’ record was 32-28, which would’ve been enough for the playoffs. However, they ended up finishing 78-84, leaving them short of glory. This scenario is pretty common — during the divisional era (1969 to 2019, excluding the 1981 and 1994 strike seasons), 36.5% of teams who were in a playoff position by the 60 game mark missed out. As a result, expect some real randomness come postseason.
2. Significant rule changes
Given the major health implications of the ongoing pandemic, there will be some rule changes that fans will need to bear in mind. Many of which were announced before the league was shut down, and while it won’t make the game unrecognizable from last season, they’re worth remembering if you find yourself a little confused by what’s going on on-screen.
These new rules include:
- Coronavirus hygiene protocols, such as bans on spitting and handshakes. Pitchers will be allowed to use a wet rag for moisture, rather than licking their fingers.
- All National League games will include the designated hitter.
- In extra innings, each team will start with a runner on second base. This will be the player who precedes the pinch runner in the batting order.
- All relief pitchers must pitch to at least three batters, provided the inning hasn’t ended.
- Opening Day rosters will consist of 30 active players, cut down from each team’s 60-man pool. This will eventually be trimmed to 26 players within a month of the new season. There won’t be a limit on the number of pitchers, contrary to a previous announcement.
- The injured list for pitchers and position players will be active for 10 days, while the 60-day list will be reduced to 45. There will also be a separate injury list for those who contract COVID-19, have been exposed to it or show symptoms.
Read the full list of rule changes here.
3. Mookie Betts lining up for the Dodgers
No team feared a canceled 2020 season more than the Los Angeles Dodgers. After signing superstar Mookie Betts on a one-year deal, the shutdown suddenly left the Dodgers at risk of never seeing Betts play for their side. But with the MLB restart, the Dodgers will get to enjoy the services of the former Red Sox right fielder, potentially making them the team to beat.
The Dodgers were already a World Series contender before acquiring Betts. But consider the signing of David Price — long deemed one of the league’s best pitchers — and a roster including the likes of Gavin Lux, Corey Seager and Justin Turner, and they look like serious challengers. Could Betts be the final piece in the puzzle that leads the Dodgers to their first World Series title in 32 years? Well, their futures odds certainly suggest so, with Oddschecker putting the Dodgers joint favorites to win the World Series alongside the New York Yankees. As Sports Intel explains, futures betting is “based on the odds that a team will win a particular game or event, such as a division title or the World Series, that isn’t scheduled to take place until a later time.”
4. Toronto Blue Jays playing home games outside of Canada
Although the new season is just days away, the Toronto Blue Jays are still unsure where they’ll be playing their home games. This is because under Canada’s Quarantine Act, any person entering the country from the US must quarantine for 14 days, while gatherings of more than ten people are banned as well. These rules make it impossible for opponents to enter Canada to play the Blue Jays, while the Blue Jays would be subject to the same rules when re-entering their home country after away games.
At the time of writing, the Blue Jays are waiting to hear back from the Canadian government about a possible exemption from these rules. If they don’t receive a decision by the time they travel to their first exhibition games in Boston on July 21st and 22nd, they will have to choose a non-Toronto location for their home fixtures. This would probably be at either their Triple-A home in Buffalo, New York or their Spring Training base in Dunedin, Florida, with a likely preference for the former due to the surging number of coronavirus cases in Florida. So, should the Blue Jays be unable to play their home games in Toronto, look out for them staying put in the US.
5. More players taking a knee
Back in 2017, Oakland A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell made headlines when he became the first MLB player to take a knee as the National Anthem was played. This followed similar scenes in the NFL, where footballers had adopted the pose in protest against police brutality and racism. So far, Maxwell has been the only MLB player to take a knee, and the league has generally attempted to shy away from controversy where possible.
However, with Black Lives Matter protests dominating the global discourse, especially here in the US, we could expect MLB players to finally follow suit. Indeed, Maxwell’s former teammate Marcus Semien expects to see more solidarity with BLM within MLB, stating: “Now that we have a platform with the season starting, we’ll be on TV every day and every night, I think you’ll see a little bit more.”
