There’s been a lot of speculation, especially over the last few days, about when the MLB will return and what the season will be like. Here’s what we have heard so far, but nothing, of course, is official.
It sounds like the MLB is shooting for a return in June at some point. Medical officials and researchers believe that COVID-19 will likely peak in a month, so by June, the virus will be on a downward trend.
Once the season starts, the league will be aiming at playing 100 games, running well into October. The league will be trying to schedule weekly doubleheaders to try and get in as many games as possible. That would mean that teams would need a six-man starting rotation.
For the postseason, the league may expand the format to include a few more teams. That way, they can give more contending teams a chance if they haven’t fully peaked yet. Also, this could help teams and networks make up for lost revenue.
Now, the end of the postseason would likely run into late November, when the weather becomes a factor. The league will probably either schedule the World Series at a neutral site or have a site ready if the weather suddenly turns bad. For example, if the Yankees and the Dodgers play in the World Series and a blizzard is expected in New York, they would play the entire series neutrally. Sites like Marlins Park and Globe Life Field have come up as potential hosting sites.
There doesn’t seem to be many rumors though about how the league will condense the schedule. My guess is that they would eliminate one home and one away series for teams against division opponents, play non-division league teams just once and play only a few interleague series.
Keep following Empire Sports Media for updates as the league releases schedule news.