MLB is going to have to get creative to start up baseball once again. The latest plan would put the Yankees and Mets in the same division.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, baseball has a vision for how the 2020 MLB season will start. The plan is to move forward with a season in late June or early July, but it will come with major realignment in order to make this season possible.
“It’s all coming together,’’ one of the officials told Nightengale. “I’m very optimistic.”
Putting all the teams in Arizona together like a fall league event was one scenario talked about recently, but this new plan would allow teams to play in their home ballparks. According to Nightengale, MLB would form three divisions of 10 teams based on geography:
East Division
- New York Yankees
- New York Mets
- Boston Red Sox
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Washington Nationals
- Baltimore Orioles
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Tampa Bay Rays
- Miami Marlins
Central Division
- Chicago Cubs
- Chicago White Sox
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Milwaukee Brewers
- Kansas City Royals
- Cincinnati Reds
- Cleveland Indians
- Minnesota Twins
- Detroit Tigers
- Atlanta Braves
West Division
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Los Angeles Angels
- Oakland Athletics
- San Francisco Giants
- San Diego Padres
- Arizona Diamondbacks
- Houston Astros
- Colorado Rockies
- Texas Rangers
- Seattle Mariners
Sign me up for this. Although baseball purists might cringe at the thought of the Mets and the Yankees playing in the same division, if that’s what it takes to play the 2020 season, so be it. Beggars can’t be choosers.
There are still obstacles to overcome before this version of baseball becomes a reality. For one, testing around the country must reach a point where we can spare extra tests for asymptomatic ballplayers.
That’s most important here, but after testing is figured out, MLB needs to set up another spring training and decide whether or not fans will be allowed to attend games.
This potential plan for an MLB season is far from a sure thing, but it’s a strong sign that baseball will be back at some point this year. The 2020 season will likely look different from every MLB season in history, but having any baseball is better than no baseball.
