Major League Baseball’s Opening Day for the 2021 season is right around the corner! 2021 will be different than most years but it will be a significant upgrade from the 2020 season. No more 60 game season, region restrictions, and empty ballparks! In this blog, I would like to look at what to expect from the 2021 Major League Baseball Season!
Stadium Capacity
All 30 Major League Baseball teams will allow some sort of limited capacity seating at their home ballparks. Here is a list of all Major League Baseball teams attendance policies in regards to the number of fans allowed and what percentage of overall capacity this represents:
Arizona Diamondbacks 12,158 (25%)
Atlanta Braves 13,500 (33%)
Baltimore Orioles 11,000 (25%)
Boston Red Sox 4,500 (12%)
Chicago Cubs 8,274 (20%)
Chicago White Sox 8,122 (20%)
Cincinnati Reds 12,700 (30%)
Cleveland Indians 10,500 (30%)
Colorado Rockies 21,363 (42.6%)
Detroit Tigers 1,000 (3%)
Houston Astros 10,300 (25%)
Kansas City Royals 10,000 (26%)
Los Angeles Angels 9,000 (20%)
Los Angeles Dodgers 11,000 (20%)
Miami Marlins 9,186 (25%)
Milwaukee Brewers 10,475 (25%)
Minnesota Twins 10,000 (25%)
New York Mets 8,300 (20%)
New York Yankees 10,850 (20%)
Oakland Athletics 9,400 (20%)
Philadelphia Phillies 8,000 (20%)
Pittsburgh Pirates 7,672 (20%)
San Diego Padres 10,000 (20%)
San Francisco Giants 8,400 (20%)
Seattle Mariners 9,000 (25%)
St. Louis Cardinals 14,500 (32%)
Tampa Bay Rays 7,000 (17%)
Texas Rangers 40,300 (100%)
Toronto Blue Jays 1,275 (15%)
Washington Nationals 5,000 (12.1%)
All-Star Game
The 2021 All-Star Game is currently scheduled for July 13 at Atlanta’s Truist Park. This will include the All-Star festivities such as the Homerun Derby, All-Star Game and for the first time ever, the MLB Draft. This should be very interesting to see how the draft does with the public. Major League Baseball is taking notes from the NFL and the NBA to try to showcase the young talent that will be drafted and will hopefully become a big part of the game in the coming years! The Braves had previously been chosen to host the 2020 All-Star Game, but that was canceled due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Los Angeles Dodgers were scheduled to host this years All-Star Game but will do so in 2022 instead.
2021 Rule Changes
Below is a list of rule changes for the 2021 MLB season from MLB.com.
The universal DH also is not in line to return after debuting in 2020, although it’s still possible that MLB and the Players Association could reach a deal in that regard prior to Opening Day. If they don’t, then the DH would be used only in AL ballparks, while pitchers would hit in NL parks.
Two other rules that were implemented in 2020 in an effort to minimize the time spent at the ballpark will return in 2021. Doubleheaders will feature seven-inning games, and when any game goes to extra innings, a runner will be placed on second base to begin each half-inning. Personally, I am not a fan of the extra-inning rule because I think it is ridiculous that you start with a runner on at the start of an inning. I think is ruins the game and I will stand firm in that belief.
Rosters will once again feature 26 players, after expanding in 2020. Roster size will increase to 28 players in September. There will not be a limit to how many pitchers can be on a team’s roster.
Clubs may bring a “Taxi Squad” of up to five players on all road trips, in order to have reinforcements available in the event of injuries or COVID-related issues.
What are you most excited about for the 2021 season? Let me know in the comments! Be sure to check out some of my other blog posts!!
Anthony's Quest for Stadium Excellence 