The fate of pro baseball in America has been up in the air since things were shut down in late March. But while the major leagues were always going to make a push to play some kind of partial season, most expected the minor league season was a wash from the start. Today MLB finally confirmed that impression, cancelling all minor league seasons for 2020.
While the extraordinary difficulties of playing baseball amidst the relentless spread of COVID-19 are the driving factor in the cancellation, the specific issue here is, as you’d expect, money.
While most of Major League Baseball’s revenue comes from sources other than gate receipts and concessions, the situation is reversed in the minor leagues.