MLB's Latest Reported Plan for Shortened 2020 Season Makes Perfect Sense
By Michael Luciano
With the coronavirus continuing to spread and several major cities, including Toronto, placing an extended ban on public gatherings, the 2020 MLB season could be in jeopardy of starting much later than originally anticipated, if at all.
While the MLB has been chucking plans for the truncated 2020 season at a wall and seeing what would stick, their latest proposal makes a lot of sense and satisfies a lot of currently warring parties. The season would be 100 games long in this scenario. While the All-Star Game in Los Angeles would be cancelled, the city would be awarded a neutral field World Series in warm weather as compensation.
From a well informed source that does business with multiple MLB execs: The 100 game season being discussed would include eliminating the All Star game in Los Angeles, but would deliver a neutral field warm-weather World Series at Dodger Stadium as compensation. (1/2)
— M@ (@MattSpiegel670) April 1, 2020
The season would start on July 1, which is the reason the Midsummer Classic would be scrapped, and it would conclude on Oct. 15, just a few weeks after when the 2020 season was originally supposed to end.
To avoid the Dodgers getting home field advantage in this scenario, should they win the NL pennant, "road games" for them will be played at either Angel Stadium in Anaheim or Petco Park in San Diego.
The 100 game season being discussed would begin July 1, eventually pick up the post All-Star game schedule, & conclude October 15th. If the Dodgers made the WS, “road games” would take place in Anaheim or San Diego. Obviously, many questions remain, & talks are fluid. (2/2)
— M@ (@MattSpiegel670) April 1, 2020
With this layout, you get enough games in to make the season somewhat meaty, the playoffs don't drag on too long, and fears over playing a World Series in November are alleviated by it taking place in California. The MLB appears to have made some fine lemonade out of the lemons it's been given early in the season, so we'll see if this works out once the pandemic begins to slow down.