Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans were unable to attend games during the 2020 MLB season. However, this might change during later stages of the playoffs, according to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.
Speaking at a recent virtual event, Manfred said that the league hopes to have fans at stadiums in some capacity during League Championship Games and World Series.
“I think it’s important for us to start back down the road,” said Manfred. “Obviously, it’ll be limited numbers, socially distanced, protection provided for the fans in terms of temperature checks and the like. Kind of the pods like you saw in some of the NFL games. We’ll probably use that same theory. But I do think it’s important as we look forward to 2021 to get back to the idea that live sports, they’re generally outdoors, at least our games. And it’s something that we can get back to.”
Some leagues, like NFL, started opening their stadiums to fans, but MLB decided to see out the regular season in front of empty stands. Still, the league is reportedly leaving the possibility to change their policy at some point during the postseason.
Having fans at parks will mostly depend on MLB’s plan to stage the playoffs in a bubble setting. According to reports, the league plans to play the first round at the park of the higher-seeded team, while Divisional Series, League Championship Series, and World Series would take place at four stadiums: Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, San Diego’s Petco Park, Houston’s Minute Maid Park and Globe Life Field in Arlington.
