This article is part of our Mound Musings series.
Fifty-plus years of following baseball, and I certainly can't recall anything like this. It's mid-April and the season hasn't begun. In fact, there isn't any real plan for an Opening Day anytime in the immediate future, and alternative scenarios for playing the MLB season appear pretty much every day. And, those scenarios seem to move, probably out of necessity, further and further away from "traditional" Major League Baseball. Many of these variations could significantly impact your fantasy team if they come to pass. There are so many things to look at, so let's go.
Playing in Arizona and Florida: One interesting option being discussed for the 2020 regular season would see all the games played in Arizona and Florida in the various spring training cities. At first glance, this wouldn't seem to offer much impact on the fantasy season, but think about it. This plan would entail a temporary realignment of divisions based on basic geography. Teams based in Arizona, both American and National League clubs, would play in that state, while Florida-based teams would hold their games there. Notably, the designated hitter rule would be implemented for all games, changing the value of some National League hitters, and exposing pitchers on those teams to an additional hitter. That would likely reduce the value of most pitchers in that league slightly. However, there is an even bigger impact that may not immediately come to mind. Top of the list … the Rockies' pitchers have no home games in Coors Field.
