Beyond the July opening date amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and the shortening of the schedule to 60 games, and ballparks filled with cardboard cutouts instead of fans, there’s now yet another way that the 2020 MLB season will be different than a normal campaign: Expanded playoffs.
The MLB Players Association on Thursday agreed to expand the postseason for this year only, reports Marly Rivera of ESPN. There will be room for 16 teams instead of the usual 10, notes Bob Nightengale of USA Today, who also adds that players as a group will get an extra $50 million for their end of the deal regardless of whether fans can attend.