MLB is working through the details of a plan that would start the 2020 season in late June, with a 100-game schedule in a temporarily realigned, three-division league.
Games would be played in existing MLB ballparks, with no fans, at least at the outset, with that situation adapting as the public health circumstances allow.
The divisions would be aligned based on geography, and teams would only play games within their 10-team divisions, according to details in several published reports.
According to a USA Today report, our three local teams, the Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves would be split into two different divisions.
The Nats and O’s, in the USA Today rendering, would be in the East Division along with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins.
The Braves would play in the Central Division, with the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds.
It might make more sense to keep the Braves in the East, though, with the Jays in the Central, to preserve the natural Toronto-Detroit rivalry, since natural geographic rivalries seem to be a key feature of this set-up.
The West, then, would be the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland A’s, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.
Playoffs would be interesting with the three-division arrangement, and we’re not seeing anything in terms of how it would work.
But that’s not the most important part of this.
Just getting back to playing ball is.
Story by Chris Graham
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