The New York Yankees, like all the other 29 MLB teams, will have a host of new rules this season. Included in those rules are a multitude of safety protocols, but there are also some rule changes that may not please baseball purists. Included in those is the three batter rule for relief pitchers and the automatic man on second base. All the rules will be applied to all teams, but some teams may benefit from those rules changes more than others.
Three geographic divisions
The most significant change this season is the realignment of divisions. Instead of the traditional three divisions in each league, there will be only three divisions in total. The Eastern League, the Central League, and the Western League will see all teams facing both American and National league teams within their divisions.
For the New York Yankees, they will face their traditional rivals on the east coast including the Toronto Blue Jays in Canada. They will also face the east coast National League teams. The cross-New York Mets, the Philadelphia Phillies, the World Champion Washington Nationals, and the lowly Florida Marlins. Although the official baseball schedule had not been released, sources say the New York Yankees will face their American League rivals in more games and the National League teams less often.
The Automatic man on second base
This season the New York Yankees and all teams will have an automatic man on second base in each half inning when a game goes beyond nine innings. The is designed to shorten the game time and prevent unnecessary injuries due to prolonged play.
30 man roster
When the season starts on July 23rd, if it does, teams will be allowed to have a 30 man roster for the first two weeks of the season. For the next two weeks, they can have 28 players. After that, they can only have 26 on the roster for the remainder of the season.
60 player limit
MLB is allowing teams to have 60 players play during the shortened season. However, teams must post those 60 that will be eligible to play during the 2020 season.
3 batter pitcher requirement
During the 2020 season, when a starting pitcher or for that matter, a reliever is pulled by a manager, that pitcher replacing him must fact at least three batters or pitch until the end of that half-inning. This has been put in place to compress game times and prevent a manager from using three pitchers in the same inning causing long game delays.
Universal Designated hitter (DH)
This season something that has been talked about for several years will become a reality. The universal DH, which means both the American and the National League will have a DH, instead of having the pitcher hit the ball. This will mainly be a benefit for the National League teams as they will now be able to have another additional experienced hitter in the lineup.
For the American League, it solves an issue that has bothered them for years, having to have their pitcher hit when playing in National League parks. Pitchers are not trained to hit and are not trained to run the bases. Because they do it so seldom, they are more included to be injured when running those bases. The Yankees will now not have to worry about losing their new ace pitcher Gerrit Cole unnecessarily.
In 2008 Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankee pitching ace at the time, injured his foot, running the bases when Derek Jeter hit a single into the hole. Wang was running from second to third base. Due to the injury, Wang missed most of the season.
In 2018 Masahiro Tanaka pulled a hamstring running the bases during a June game at Citi Field against the Mets. He was running to home plate in response to a sack fly. Tanaka was put on the DL and was out for weeks. Other prominent pitchers that have been injuring while running the base include Steven Wright, Adam Wainwright, Carlos Zambrano, Jacob deGrom, and Mark Prior, among others.
All the other rules
Most of the other rules involve health protocols. Still, the league’s primary concern is mitigating the spread of the virus, but squeezing in 60 games with limited off days after an extended layoff and abbreviated “spring†training creates additional risk for player injuries.
Some of the protocols would have been unimaginable back in February. Some of them include no fans in the stands, pitchers not being able to lick their fingers. Instead, they will be allowed to carry a wet rag. Players must maintain a reasonable distance from each other while playing. Players will not have to wear masks while playing but must, along with other personnel, wear them when off the field. Players will be tested twice a day, including temperature checks.
There will be no high fives, no spitting, no showering in the clubhouse, and lockers will be spread out to allow for proper distancing. No one but players and coaches will be allowed in the clubhouse. The original 67-page health initiative has been expanded to 101 pages because MLB didn’t think of everything when the original initiative was drafted. If you want to read all of the health protocols you and do it here.
The Nashville squad?
MLB has been talking with Nashville about having two teams there of unsigned players, sources say. They would serve as an emergency pool and would make $400/week. MLB teams would have to pay a fee to Nashville to sign one of those players. This as reported by Jason Stark, the senior baseball writer at The Athletic.
Personal opinion
This writer believes that it is reasonable to assume this season, regardless of the health protocols in place, will not be completed. With cases raging in Texas, Arizona, California, Florida, and in many other states, the ability of teams staying safe from the virus seems less likely. If any team suffers a large outbreak of the coronavirus, MLB will shut down the season. I certainly hope this does not come to fruition, but with each passing day, it seems more likely.