Under normal circumstances, Major League Baseball would be more than a month into its season right now.
But with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic putting the sports world on hold, MLB has been left to consider alternative paths to getting back on the field in 2020.
According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the latest possibility MLB has been discussing would see the league shift from its traditional American League-National League and division set up to all 30 teams being divided into three separate divisions. Teams would then only play games within their own division and at the traditional Major League stadiums, albeit without any fans in attendance.
The three geographically aligned divisions would be as follows:
East: New York Yankees and Mets, Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins
West: Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners
Central: Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers
The plan, which Nightengale said is gaining support among owners and executives, would see games start in late-June and no later than July 2 with teams playing at least 100 regular-season games. It would also reduce the need for players to self-isolate as had previously been discussed, although it remains possible games would need to start in hubs such as Arizona, Texas and Florida.
While details still need to be worked out, baseball officials have become "cautiously optimistic" about the plan, according to Nightengale. It would first need to be approved by medical experts and be based on COVID-19 testing being available to the public.