Major League Baseball season for 2021 may be delayed from April 1 to April 28. This delay may also lead to a reduction in the number of games. This year, there may be 154 games instead of 162.

A late start to the season

MLB is looking to delay the start of its 2021 season by at least four weeks according to the Associated Press. The league has cited concerns related to the pandemic as the reason behind the delay. However, Super Bowl will begin as scheduled on February 8. This would be the first time that a mass sporting event will be organized in the US since the pandemic induced shutdowns beginning in March last year.

Sources suggest that the new season for MLB could begin on April 28. This time, the number of games has been cut short from 162 to 154. This has been done to account for the additional traveling and safety measures are undertaken because of the pandemic.

What will the new season look like?

The playoffs will feature 14 teams instead of the traditional 10 teams. The league will also continue to keep the seven-inning doubleheaders and the beginning extra innings as experimental rules for this season as well. AP cited two sources close to the matter and said that spring training for the season will begin on March 22. Even if the start date is pushed back by a month, the end date is expected to remain roughly the same with the reduced number of games.

The MLB was previously planning to finish the season on October 3. The new schedule will push the end date to October 10. League commissioner Rob Manfred said that he would like to know the thoughts of team owners related to the delayed beginning of the league by this Monday. The league is not planning to reduce the salaries of the players because of the reduction in the number of games.