Photo by Ed Delany, MMN
Minor League Baseball is set to return this year, after having their season cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we will once again see the return of baseball in Class A, Double-A and Triple-A, this year’s schedule will be a bit different then in year’s past.
According to Baseball America, the start of the 2021 season will be delayed this year for both Double-A and Class A. On the other hand, Triple-A is expected to remain on normal schedule, as those players will report to camp at the same time as major leaguers.
Major League Baseball has informed teams that lower level minor league players will not report to camp until the big league club completes their spring training. The idea behind delaying minor league spring training is to make it easier for teams to practice social distancing among ongoing concerns from the pandemic.
With the start of spring training being delayed for the minor leagues, MLB has informed teams that Double-A and Class A seasons could continue up until October 3rd, where they usually conclude by early September.
Along with the delayed start to the season, it has also been announced that there likely will not be any playoffs in the minors this year.
While the expectation is for the Triple-A schedule to remain relatively unchanged, with an April start being likely, there is a chance that things can change based on MLB’s protocols.
Last year, MLB teams operated in strictly controlled limited access “bubbles”, where staff remained confined to their travel party as they flew on charter flights when they went from city to city. Since minor league teams fly commercially, there is a chance that teams will have to return to the alternate site model from last year.
The hope would be that as coronavirus vaccines become more widely available, outbreaks around the country will diminish, making the risk of travel less severe. Until then, Triple-A could be put in a holding pattern of sorts, as those players are more heavily relied on to join the major league club at a moments notice.
Another change that is coming to the minors this year is the adoption of a six-day on, one-day off schedule. Instead of playing three or four-game series (similar to MLB), teams will play six-game series’ at a single location. This will limit travel, which is not only beneficial for health concerns but also financially as team’s costs are expected to be cut in half.
This change is good for players as well, because they used to only get one day off a month and now they will get a day off every week.
There is still plenty of details that need to be ironed out, but things are at least moving in the right direction for Minor League Baseball to return this year.
