| 2020 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | Major League Baseball |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | July 23 – October 27, 2020 |
| Number of games | 60 |
| Number of teams | 30 |
| TV partner(s) | Fox/FS1, TBS, ESPN, MLB Network |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Spencer Torkelson |
| Picked by | Detroit Tigers |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: José Abreu (CWS) NL: Freddie Freeman (ATL) |
| Postseason | |
| AL champions | Tampa Bay Rays |
| AL runners-up | Houston Astros |
| NL champions | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| NL runners-up | Atlanta Braves |
| World Series | |
| Champions | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Runners-up | Tampa Bay Rays |
| World Series MVP | Corey Seager (LAD) |
The 2020 Major League Baseball season began on July 23 and ended on September 27 with only 60 games amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The full 162-game regular season was planned to begin on March 26, but the pandemic caused Major League Baseball (MLB) to announce on March 12 that the remainder of spring training was canceled and that the start of the regular season would be delayed by at least two weeks.[1] On March 16, MLB announced that the season would be postponed indefinitely, following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to restrict events of more than 50 people.[2] This was the first time that MLB games had been put on hold since the 2001 season, when the season was paused for over a week after the September 11 attacks.
Spring training resumed on July 1 and was rebranded as "Summer Camp".[3] On July 3, the All-Star Game was canceled because of the delay to the regular season. Dodger Stadium, which was set to host the game, went on to host the 2022 All-Star Game.[4]
On July 18, the Canadian federal government denied permission for the Toronto Blue Jays to play their home games at Rogers Centre in 2020 on grounds that repeated cross-border trips by both the Blue Jays and their opponents would be a major risk due to the higher spikes in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. compared to those in Canada. The Blue Jays then chose to play their home games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, home of their Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons.[5]
An expanded 16-team postseason tournament began on September 29, with games of all but the first round being played at neutral sites. The World Series began on October 20 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, and ended on October 27, with the Los Angeles Dodgers defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in six games to win their first title since 1988.[6][7][8]
- ^ Feinsand, Mark (March 12, 2020). "Opening Day delayed at least 2 weeks; Spring Training games canceled". MLB.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Feinsand, Mark (March 16, 2020). "Opening of regular season to be pushed back". MLB.com. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- ^ Baccellieri, Emma. "'Summer Camp' Is Here–But MLB's Calendar Is Shattered". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ Matt Johnson (July 3, 2020). "Major League Baseball cancels 2020 All-Star Game". Sportsnaut. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ "Blue Jays settle on Sahlen Field after clock runs out on Baltimore bid". Sportsnet.ca. July 24, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ "MLB 2020 season is officially a go". New York Post. June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "2020 MLB schedule released with Yankees-Nationals, Giants-Dodgers set for opening night". ESPN. July 6, 2020.
- ^ "MLB announces 2020 postseason schedule". MLB.com.