MLB considering re-aligning to three regional divisions
The world of professional sports is still learning to adapt to the new reality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over recent weeks, we have heard a variety of different ideas and concepts that could be utilized to help bring back professional sports sooner than later. One league that has explored several possibilities and has made it clear they will not rule anything out is Major League Baseball.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told players and league employees just a couple of weeks ago in a letter that he anticipated a 2020 MLB season would be played but when or how that remains anybody’s guess.
“While I fully anticipate that baseball will resume this season, it is very difficult to predict with any accuracy the timeline for the resumption of our season,” wrote Manfred.
The thought is that even if professional reports can return to play anytime soon, mass gatherings would still be prohibited, travel would still be restricted, and fans would not be allowed into ballparks. With this in mind, the league has been discussing options that would help ease the amount of travelling teams would have to do and help broadcasters deliver the best television product for fans watching at home.
On Tuesday, new reports emerged from CBS Sports and the Associated Press suggesting that the league had been floating around the idea of having three regional divisions with 10 teams in each. This would see the traditional American League/National League and divisional split thrown away for the 2020 campaign. It would allow teams to play all their games within a certain state and avoid travelling across the continent.
The objective would be to keep many of the league’s natural rivals together, allowing them to play against each other before an extended playoff format would take place. The thought right now is that the league is looking at Florida, Texas and Arizona to host games. Florida and Arizona are home to a plethora of spring training facilities, while the new Texas Rangers’ ballpark has already been identified as a potential place for the league to start play.
Having teams split up into three groups by each state would also allow for teams to play games within their own time zone, helping fans at home watch the product. Teams based in the Eastern time zone would play Florida, teams in the Central time zone would play in Texas, and teams based on the West coast could play in Arizona. The league is also hoping that as the season progresses and government restrictions are eased, teams would eventually start being able to play games in their own ballparks again.
This appears to be just one of many ideas being bandied about though and is far from being confirmed. However, it is an interesting concept and one that would surely help speed up the return of baseball.
The MLB season was originally scheduled to start back on March 26th but hasn’t been able to get off the ground yet due to the current outbreak.
