With Major League Baseball possibly realigning for the 2020 season, what are five rivalries the new format could give fans?
Hope is rising within baseball circles that MLB could be making its return sooner, rather than later. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported this week that MLB is expected to propose its return-to-play proposal to the players union as early as next week.
That brings optimism amongst baseball fans, but still raises many questions. When will it be safe to play? Will there be fans in the stadium? And most of all: How will the divisions look if the league goes through with a possible realignment?
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, reports are that MLB is hoping for teams to play in their home ballparks and break the 30 teams up into three geographically aligned divisions to limit the amount of travel.
While the proposed realignment still presents some historic rivalries, such as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, the new divisions could present some rivalries many fans have not seen previously.
For traditional baseball fans, they may not love the new proposal. MLB has not realigned since 1994 and the expectation is the 2020 plan would only be temporary. But, for many fans across the country, a little bit of change could be exciting for them. Some of the rivalries many have clamored for over the years may finally be coming to fruition, even if it’s only for one season.
With that being said, what exciting matchups could await us in 2020 when the season starts? Continue on for five rivalries that MLB realignment could bring this season!