A full slate of Major League Baseball is planned for 2021 following a hectic 2020 season that included just a 60-game regular season, an interrupted Spring Training and the Los Angles Dodgers finally winning the World Series.
Both of Ohio's MLB teams, the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians, were playoff clubs in 2020. Both took advantage of a one-year-only expanded playoff. The Reds were swept by the Atlanta Braves and the Indians by the Yankees.
The Reds will not have 2020 Cy Young Winner Trevor Bauer, who signed with those Dodgers and the Indians will not have Francisco Lindor, who was traded to the New York Mets.
Like both the Reds and Indians, the 2021 season will look different from 2020. As in, it could resemble a normal season with 162 games and just 10 playoffs teams. That said, the pandemic is still ongoing, and it's unlikely stadiums will be allowed to operate at full capacity to start the season.
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After some squabbling about the length of the season, the playoff construction and the universal designated hitter, all of which were at the center of a pair of offers the league sent to the players, baseball will start on time.
But when does it start? When does the postseason begin? Well, here are the key MLB dates to know.
Spring Training starts on Feb. 17
The majority of baseball teams report on Feb. 17. The mandatory reporting date for Major League Baseball is Feb. 26, which is 33 days before Opening Day. Players can report before Feb. 26.
When is the first Spring Training game?
The Reds and Indians share a Spring Training facility in Goodyear, Ariz., so it shouldn't be that surprising that the Reds and Indians are schedule to open the Cactus League against each other on Feb. 27.
Last month, the Cactus League asked for the season to be delayed as Arizona fights the pandemic, but no delay has been announced.
When is Opening Day?
The league sent a proposal in January to the players' union to shorten the season by eight games and delay the start by a month so there was more time to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.
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That proposal was rejected by the players. So the season will start on Thursday, April 1.
The Reds will host the St. Louis Cardinals at 4:10 p.m. and the Indians will play the Tigers in Detroit. That time was not announced yet before Spring Training.
The season will be fairly normal, albeit with some changes. The National League will not feature a designated hitter and there will be no expanded playoffs (unless MLB and the players' union reach a deal during spring training), but there will be 7-inning doubleheaders and a runner on second base to start extra innings.
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What about Minor League Baseball?
There was no minor league baseball in 2020, which affected cities throughout Ohio.
There is expected to be minor league baseball this season.
This year, Double-A and Single-A players will report to camp after Major League and Triple-A players leave, according to Baseball America. This will cause a delay in those seasons.
There was no 2021 schedule yet for the minor league season in early February.
Will there be a Major League Baseball All-Star Game and where is it held?
As of now, yes. The 91st All-Star Game is scheduled for July 13 at Truist Park in Atlanta.
When is the MLB trade deadline?
The trade deadline is July 31, as it is every year except for 2020.
When do the MLB playoffs start?
Unless the league and the players union reach an 11th hour deal to expand the playoffs during Spring Training, the playoffs will begin on Oct. 5, two days after the regular season ends.
The American League and National League wildcard games will take place on Oct. 5 and Oct. 6.
When does the World Series start?
The World Series is scheduled to start on Oct. 26.
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