24 June 2020

Major League Baseball set for July restart with shortened 60-game campaign

24 June 2020

Major League Baseball’s 2020 season is set to go ahead after the players’ union accepted the terms for a shortened 60-game campaign.

Players will report to training camp by July 1 in advance of the schedule starting on either July 23 or 24, the league confirmed on Tuesday.

The 30 MLB franchises usually each play 162 games – with 14 teams then advancing to the play-offs – and the 2020 campaign is set to be the shortest professional season since 1878.

The season was scheduled to start on March 26 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The agreement comes after months of negotiations between the MLB and Major League Baseball Players Association on how to proceed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement: “Major League Baseball is thrilled to announce that the 2020 season is on the horizon. We have provided the Players Association with a schedule to play 60 games and are excited to provide our great fans with baseball again soon.”

The MLBPA said in a short tweet: “All remaining issues have been resolved and Players are reporting to training camps.”

On Monday, MLB announced that clubs had unanimously voted to proceed with the 2020 season under the terms of a March agreement, which gave Manfred the power to unilaterally impose a schedule if the two sides were unable to reach common ground.

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