It looks like MLB and its players will soon come to an agreement to start the 2020 season after it was suspended back in March due to the ongoing pandemic.
There’s also going to be a major change that impacts baseball purists to the core.
Both the American League and National League will have the designated hitter effective immediately
As the report notes, the National League will also be using the designated hitter in 2021 before the two sides hopefully comes to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of the 2022 season.
The American league has had the designated hitter since all the way back in April of 1973. Since then, the National League has pushed back against it at every turn.
How will the 2020 MLB season look?
It’s estimated that we’ll see each team play about 65 games. They will have 10 days off. We have no idea when the season will start. The blueprint in regards to that should leak to the public at some point soon.
Game will be played in home stadiums, likely without fans in attendance. Schedules are to be largely based on geography. Teams back east playing against those close to them and the like.
It was somewhat of a shock when news broke earlier on Wednesday that the two sides were close to an agreement to start the season. It was just this past weekend that the MLBPA rejected the league’s latest offer, calling for an end in negotiations in the process.
Now, it looks like we’ll be getting baseball at some point next month or in early August. When it does start, one rule that has lasted nearly 50 years will have changed.