After weeks of painstaking discussion, Major League Baseball and the MLBPA came to an agreement: there will be baseball in 2020. The shortened 60-game season will kick off on July 23. There will likely be no spectators at any game this year.
Even though it was not what players and fans had hoped for at the start of the discussions, the league’s plan still has major implications on the outcome of the season. Here are the “winners” and “losers” from the decision to hold a shortened season.
Winners
The fans
Baseball fans followed weeks of discussion between the MLBPA and MLB in their negotiations for a return-to-play plan. Many times, the discussions felt hopeless. Fans and television analysts predicted there could be no season at all.
The announcement that there will be baseball in 2020 was a massive relief for baseball’s followers. The first game of the season, a matchup between World Series Champion Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees, will certainly draw high TV ratings. Baseball is touted as America’s national pastime, so the league will hope to see a massive number of fans tune in to watch the shortened season. Either way, dedicated fans are perhaps the most satisfied party knowing baseball will be back on their screens.
The Houston Astros
One team undeniably aided by the shortened season with no fans is the Houston Astros. Houston was caught in a massive sign-stealing scandal after the 2019 season, and the fallout included the firings of manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnhow.
The team faced ruthless criticism throughout the offseason, but constantly pushed it off and refused to apologize. Fans began plotting their revenge against Houston with tremendous boos and bangs throughout the season. With no fans in the crowd, Houston gets a lucky break from the enraged crowd.
Additionally, MLB announced a strict no-fighting rule, so any attempt to get back at Houston physically will also be stunted. For a team facing some of the most hatred in MLB history, they’ve undeniably caught a break and are a massive winner from the shortened season for that reason alone.
Losers
The New York Yankees
The Yankees bolstered their roster into new dimensions this past offseason, most notably adding All-Star right-hander Gerrit Cole. New York entered 2020 as a clear favorite to win the American League.
However, the shortened season could easily be detrimental to a team like New York. Last season, though they were at the top of the AL East by September, the Yankees started off 6-9.
A repeated slow start through 15 games would be extremely damaging with a quarter of the season already gone. Aaron Judge’s injury struggles could also hurt New York if the slugging right fielder is unable to start on Opening Day.
While it could still certainly dominate from start to finish, the potential of a rough streak to start the season is all too high for New York, and certainly concerning for its championship aspirations.
Baseball “traditionalists”
One of the decisions that came from the shortened season is the installment of a universal designed hitter for 2020. Analysts and fans have been clamoring for a universal DH for years. Multiple pitchers have sustained injuries from attempting to hit, and almost all statistics and sabermetrics point to benefits for teams who do not have to send their pitcher to the plate.
There has been a group of baseball “traditionalists” who continue to speak out against a universal DH for reasons including the years of precedent and integrity of the game. In many cases, these are the same individuals who speak out against players wearing jewelry in games or excessively celebrating home runs with bat flips.
While the universal DH is only for 2020 for the moment, it could become permanent if the league likes what it sees. Baseball’s “old-timers” might see the outdated rule phased out in coming years.
Additionally, the league announced that a runner will be placed on second base during extra-inning games to accelerate the pace of play. This is another idea that many “traditionalists” stood fervently against. Though the new rules are unconventional and new, they could likely help progress baseball to a more modern and fan-friendly sport.