UNITED STATES—In an attempt to bring back baseball in America before the end of 2020, the Major League Baseball organization is discussing the possibility of switching up the divisional structure into 3, 10 team divisions.
The MLB reported on Tuesday, April 28 that they are considering changing the division makeup with the goal to start the season in late June or early July this year and feature at least 100 games. The 3, 10 team divisions would do away with the normal American and National League teams and simply place teams into divisions based on geographical location rather than the typical six.
In early April, MLB and the MLB Players Association discussed the possibility of moving all 30 teams to Arizona with the intention of beginning the baseball season there amidst COVID-19 concerns. The plan was to play the games in Phoenix, but have players remain solely at hotels when not playing.
Other plans included using Florida, Arizona and Texas as the three main locations for teams to play.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal explained there could be additional locations added.
“The league could open in 10 to 12 states, or in as many as 20 home parks, sources say. Or it could start in Florida, Texas and Arizona, then take a break after say, five weeks, to reassess the viability of moving to other locations. Even states hit hardest by the virus — New York, Michigan, California — might welcome the return of baseball in empty parks, citing it as an example of life returning to normal,” said Rosenthal.
Some states have been slowly easing their Stay-at-Home orders, providing hope that the plan could indeed work. MLB’s three-division plan is contingent on getting approval from medical professionals and that widespread Coronavirus testing will need to be available to the public as well.
