Major League Baseball is Back 2021

The 2020 Major League Baseball season, upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, was delayed by nearly four months. The typical 162-game scheduled ultimately was shortened to 60 games, and teams played in empty ballparks due to health and safety protocols. All of us baseball fans were excited to have at least some kind of season but we hope for a full season this year. HOPEFULLY!!

So as Opening Day 2021 approached, fans had many questions, such as, “Is baseball coming back in 2021?” and "Will MLB allow fans in stadiums?" among other things. To help with that, here is a complete guide to everything you need to know about the 2021 MLB season.

Opening Day
Opening Day of the 2021 season arrived on April 1, with 26 of the 30 teams taking the field and producing an action-packed day of baseball  (Two more teams, the Red Sox and Orioles, were rained out but began their season on April 2. The opening series between the Nationals and Mets were postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests).

MLB and COVID-19
Last year, the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic shut down Spring Training in mid-March and delayed Opening Day. The 2020 season did not begin until late July, and teams played a 60-game schedule, adhering to MLB's strict COVID rules. They then embarked upon an expanded postseason, with the field widened from 10 teams to 16, which was actually a great idea.

Nearly a year later, the pandemic persists, although ongoing vaccinations – including many at major league parks -- are providing hope. However, COVID-19 will continue to affect the MLB schedule in 2021, especially early in the season. That extends to both fans (in terms of how many are allowed to attend games) and players (who once again have to follow all the rules).

MLB Rule Changes 2021
As mentioned, the expanded postseason we saw in 2020 is not returning in 2021. But what about other rules changes?

• The universal DH also is out for 2021 after debuting last year. That means the DH will only be used in AL ballparks, while pitchers are back to hitting in NL ballparks. On Opening Day, Arizona's Madison Bumgarner -- perhaps the most accomplished hitting pitcher of his generation -- celebrated with a long double.

• Two other rules that were started in 2020 in an effort to minimize the time spent at the ballpark will return in 2021. First, doubleheaders will once again feature seven-inning games. Also, MLB's extra inning rule is back, meaning that beginning in the 10th, a runner will be placed on second base to begin each half-inning.

• Rosters 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.

The regular season, All-Star Game and postseason
Until last year, there were 162 games in an MLB season. The plan is for that to be true again in 2021, with the league sticking to its previously released schedule, which runs from April 1 through October 3. Unlike during the abbreviated 2020 campaign, clubs will not be limited to playing opponents from the same region (West, Central, East).

Each of the 30 teams has announced its plans regarding attendance for early-season games, something that depends on local policies and team rules. On Opening Day, for example, there was a crowd of 10,850 at Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees face the Blue Jays, and a crowd of 20,570 at Coors Field to see the Rockies take on the defending-champion Dodgers. Stay tuned to MLB.com and each club’s site for more details, as policies continue to evolve throughout the year.

The 2021 All-Star Game remains scheduled for July 13. However, MLB announced on April 2 that it is relocating the site from Atlanta to Coors Field in Colorado. The same goes for the MLB Draft, which is scheduled to be a part of the All-Star festivities for the first time. A new host city has yet to be announced.

The 2021 postseason schedule is not yet official. While the playoffs were expanded from 10 to 16 teams for 2020, that agreement was for one year only. The league and the players' union did not reach a new agreement regarding expanded playoffs for this year. In the absence of such a pact, the playoffs will once again feature five-team fields in both the AL and NL and begin with win-or-go-home Wild Card Games in both leagues. We will stay focused on MLB and monitor the events.