MLB 2021: What We Know About This Season So Far
By Space Coast Daily // March 4, 2021
To everyone who loves baseball, particularly the MLB, the countdown to Opening Days starts as soon as the current season ends. The last season ended in October 2020 and the next one is fast approaching. We are already sure that this year’s MLB will push through but what is it going to be like?
Fans are surely happy to know that there’s no reason for the next MLB season to be delayed. Baseball betting fans are surely looking forward to knowing what this season has in store for them. Will it be just like last year’s season?
Last year’s season, MLB was one of the many sports events that were greatly affected by the pandemic. An MLB season would usually start in between March and April but last season started on July 1 instead. There was also a major change in the game schedule as only 60 games were played in total.
To reduce travel, the teams involved played only nine other teams instead of the usual 19 to 20. The last 20 games of the season were also all interleague contests. This made the last year’s league the shortest regular season since 1878.
Season 2021 Schedule
If you feel like a 60-game season was short and that you need more than what last year has offered, this year should be something you can look forward to. This year, the MLB will be back with a full 162-game season. The Interleague play will showcase AL East vs NL East, AL Central vs NL Central, and AL West vs NL West.
When it comes to when it will start, it will be on April 1. The end of the season is scheduled for October 3. The All-Star Game which is on its 91st season is scheduled for July 13. It will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The World Series will then start on October 26.
Will Fans be Allowed in the Stadium?
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the medical advisor to President Joe Biden, has recently talked about the baseball season. He said, “We could have a pretty good chance of having a baseball season that’s a full season. We could have people in the stands, maybe not right next to each other; there are going to be public health restrictions like mask-wearing and things like that.”
Fauci mainly pointed out that whether fans would be allowed to attend the matches will depend on the current trends. The impact of certain coronavirus variants will also have to be monitored.
The attendance of fans for this season will also have to be decided by the local municipalities where the matches will be held. However, clubs will still be required to submit a plan or health protocols to be approved by the league’s office. These plans should be consistent with the advice of the league’s health experts.
So far, the Tampa Bay Rays have already announced its specific plan. Their plan includes allowing only a total of 7,000 fans at the Tropicana Field when the season starts in April. For now, Dr. Fauci is still uncertain when MLB will be able to have fan-filled stadiums once again. He said that for this to happen, at least 75 to 80 percent of the US population should already be vaccinated so that the risks will be very low.
A limited number of fans will likely be able to attend some of the Spring Training games. Still, this will depend on the local municipalities involved which are Arizona and Florida. Still, it will also be highly reliant on the COVID 19 trends. So far, there’s only a little chance that fans will be completely banned from attending. Fans should constantly check the league’s website for any updates on this.
Other Changes This Season
It was announced by the MLB in February that certain rules last season will be carried on to this season even if the number of matches is already back to normal. Part of this is that the doubleheader will be played as seven-inning games.
The runner will also be placed on second base at the start of every half-inning of a game that would go into extra innings.
The rosters will still feature 26 players but its size should be able to increase to 28 in September. There is no limit on how many pitchers will be allowed in each team. The clubs can also bring a Taxi Squad of up to five players on all of the season’s road trips.
