The Miami Marlins could be playing baseball by July

In an effort to get the 2020 MLB season underway, there is a proposal for all 30 teams, including the Miami Marlins, to begin the season by July.

For Miami Marlins fans and fans of MLB, the 2020 season may finally get off the ground within the next few months after the threat of COVID-19 halted Spring Training and left baseball and other sports waiting for a tentative start date.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, an outline of how the season would start has been proposed with 100 games slated for the 2020 seasons. It would mean teams would play in their own ballparks and realignment would be added to alleviate issues with travel and for safety concerns. Nothing has been set in concrete as the league office and other “players” in the decision may come to an agreement that is best for everyone concerned.

The Miami Marlins, 57-105 last season, would play a different type of schedule than they have in the past. Team CEO Derek Jeter has stated the team will be ready once it gets approve to play ball again.

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“Major League Baseball officials have become cautiously optimistic this week that the season will start in late June, and no later than July 2, playing at least 100 regular-season games, according to three executives with knowledge of the talks. They requested anonymity because the plan is still under consideration,” Nightengale wrote.“MLB is considering a three-division, 10-team plan in which teams play only within their division – a concept gaining support among owners and executives. It would abolish the traditional American and National Leagues, and realign the divisions based on geography.”

One of the caveats to this happening and for safety reasons, no fans would be allowed in the ballparks where games are played. This is been a discussion from the time MLB shut down all Spring Training games in both Florida and Arizona.

As it stands right now, the Miami Marlins would play in a 10-team division with the New York Yankees and Mets, Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, and Tampa Bay Rays. Because of the restructuring, other changes will be made to games played against teams that would be have been considered interleague games.

This is where the use of the designated hitter for all 30 teams might come into play. Also, the use of realignment might be further addressed for baseball’s future. One of the plans MLB was considering was for all 30 teams to play in Arizona where teams would use Spring Training facilities and Chase Field where the Diamondbacks play.

There is also talk of teams that hold Spring Training in Florida and Arizona would remain in those states to play out the season.

“It’s also not known whether teams would have to open the season in Arizona, Florida and Texas for several weeks before everyone could return to their home stadiums,” Nightengale writes. Yet, they could squeeze in 100 to 110 games, and perhaps even have several thousand fans in attendance before or during the playoffs.”