The NBA was the first of the big US sports to announce the date in which it would return, but not to be outdone the MLB has followed suit and looks to be returning a little earlier but given the many changes that are no doubt required to get things back underway there’s a lot to cover – so what do we know about the MLB return and how will these changes impact upcoming games.
When
Training camps are set to get underway again on July 1st for the first time since March spring training, giving players a little time to prepare for the short season that’s ahead. Regular games will start to be played again on July 23rd – 24th, with the projected end of the season set for September 27th. There’s also a trade deadline for August 31st too, which adds a little urgency around the middle of the season.
How many games
The season has been cut to a 60-game regular season and playoff set which gives the fans something to look forward to, but is short nonetheless. Teams will host training camps at their own ballparks and once the season begins it will see 10 games each played against each of the other teams in their respective division, with an additional 20 interleague games played against teams in the same geographical region. This does mean that teams won’t be able to compete against rosters outside of these two divisional settings, but an understandable change.
Changes to teams and play
There are also a couple of changes coming to the way the game is played and restrictions on the team – in order to keep extra inning games as short as possible, a runner will be placed on second base at the start of each half inning to encourage scoring. Teams will also be restricted to 60 players per camp at the start of the season with a 30 man roster being paired down every fortnight to finish with a 26 man roster, although the postseason won’t be changed.
There’s some good news for betting fans too as odds have already been announced if you’re looking to scratch an itch – the projected wins currently sit with the LA Dodgers topping at 37 projected wins at the top, and the Baltimore Orioles at the bottom with 20.5, but with players being out since March there’s the possibility for big upsets as has been seen in European sport recently – there’s good news for those European MLB fans too, however, as despite recent regulation changes you’re still able to participate as a Wish list non uk casinos here that allow fans to play and get involved alongside the MLB in July once games get underway again. Unfortunately for locals, much like other sports there will be no allowance for fans in attendance just yet, and will likely remain unchanged until the end of the season, hopefully there is change moving into 2021 but that’s still a big hurdle that needs to be overcome in order to experience the new ‘normal’ for sporting events.
