After months of negotiation between the MLB Players Association and the owners, Major League Baseball is back. Our Atlanta Braves will host spring training starting July 1st, while they open the season on July 23rd or 24th and we will be carrying all the action on air at 101.1 FM WLJA. This year will look very different from a normal season, so let us get you up to speed on the 2020 MLB Season.
First, the schedule looks very different. In an effort to limit travel, the Braves schedule will only be against the NL East (Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies, and the New York Mets) and the AL East (New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Baltimore Orioles). The Braves will play 10 games against each of the NL East teams and 4 games against each of the AL East teams, for a total of 60 games.
The rules have also changed for this season. The biggest change being that the National League will be using a Designated Hitter so that the Pitcher will no longer have to bat. If a game goes to extra innings, a runner will be put on second base at the beginning of that inning. Also, if a game is cancelled due to a rain delay, the game will resume the next day from where they left off instead of starting over. The final rule change is that a relief pitcher will have to face at least 3 batters before being switched out, this rule should help the game move a little faster.
Finally, each team will have a 60 man “player pool”. This allows a team to have a regular 30-man roster, while also having 30 players ready to come up if a player is injured or sick. There is no Minor League Baseball this year, so the Braves will be using Coolray Field, the home of the Braves AAA affiliate the Gwinnett Stripers, to keep the extra 30 players game ready. If you would like to see the roster you can see it here: https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1277345291902095361
