With the 2020 MLB season about to wrap up, it concludes an unusual and unforgettable season.  

Initially,  the MLB season was supposed to start March 26, but due to the pandemic, the season was pushed back four months later. The MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association) had trouble coming to an agreement with the MLB and as a result, made the season start much later than usual. 

This agreement shortened the number of games played in half from 162 to 60 games being played during the regular season.  Players were required to follow strict health and safety protocols such as day to day COVID 19 testing, and daily screening and temperature checks.  

Not only were there strict health and safety protocols taking place, the MLB saw for the first time fans being banned from attending games. Frank Zapata ’22, a baseball player for Archbishop Riordan, said not having fans “took something away from the sport, but it didn’t seem to affect the players at all.”

This is a result of the players’ drive to win and their competitive nature. Science teacher Thomas Harlan, a former baseball player and coach for Riordan stated that “Every game counts since there are only 60 games and that made it very competitive.”

Fast-forwarding to the playoffs, the MLB decided to follow what the NBA had done in creating a bubble for the teams that made the playoffs. The American League teams playing in San Diego had a restriction of fans while the National League teams playing in Texas welcomed fans to the stadium. 

This year’s World Series features the Rays and Dodgers as they steamrolled over the other teams in the playoffs with both teams only really facing adversity in the league championship series. This year’s Fall Classic will be an interesting and memorable one not only for fans, but for history as well.