What Is MLB's Future Amidst a Global Crisis?

Adam Dunn striking out / Wikipedia Commons

MLB fans, players, and coaches were all shocked when the news broke out on March 12th that spring training was canceled and the season would be pushed back by at least two weeks. Currently, it remains unclear whether or not baseball will happen at all this year. This uncertainty will cause problems for the entire league and raises concerns for everyone involved in baseball.

The announcement comes amidst a series of suspensions across all professional sports, with leagues stopping their games until further notice. Now, one month after the planned opening day for baseball, some people are having doubts if the season will happen at all.

Christian Yelich, the 2018 National League MVP, spoke about the current situation and what it means for baseball. For him, it's a toss-up if the season will be canceled entirely.

"There's a very real chance that we don't play as much as there is that we do play,” he said on WEEI Radio's Ordway, Merloni & Fauria show. “I would say it is probably 50/50.”

With no games being played, the league has set a tiered payment system for the players. This system, however, only applies to players signed to a major league contract. Minor league players are paid by a stipend-based system instead. To help the ballpark employees, the MLB laid out a $30-million fund to support those put out of work.

“The health and safety of everyone in our communities is of the utmost importance to us,” MLB said in a press release last week.

This pandemic also hits hard on a local level, as many teams saw 2020 as a year of opportunity. The New York Mets, for example, had assembled a team full of star players like Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard, Michael Conforto, and Pete Alonso. Now, there are concerns over who will stay and who will leave for free agency.

Still, every team identifies with the struggle of not playing an entire season. The Mets stand to lose $42.1 million, and the league is expected to lose around $4 billion altogether if the 2020 season is lost.

Even so, there is a plan to start the baseball season in Arizona. No fans will be allowed, but games will be played in the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field while players and coaching staff stay in local hotels in self-isolation. While this is just an idea, there is hope that we will have baseball in 2020. One thing is for sure, it’s going to take an unprecedented effort to play the game amidst a crisis the world has never seen before.

Jaedon Satchell also contributed to this article.