Major League Baseball Details it's Plan for Minor League Schedule for 2021 and Beyond

Richard Wachtel

Nov 27, 2020 - 1 min read

As we have noted, Major League Baseball is in the final stages of its overhaul of Minor League baseball, and the recent announcement of the new Triple-A team for the Washington Nationals adds another piece to the puzzle.

Baseball America reports that Major League Baseball has informed Minor League Baseball of another change in a memorandum: the Schedule structure for 2021. In the memo written by Major League Baseball and reported by Baseball America, "Class A teams will play 132 games, Double-A teams will play 138-games and Triple-A clubs will play 144 games."

Additionally, the memo states "that this plan is for 2022 and beyond, effectively acknowledging the exact format and number of games for the 2021 season remains in flux because of the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic."

Some interesting aspects from the memo that Major League Baseball that was sent to Minor League Baseball:

MLB promises to consult with the Professional Development License Executive Board before making any changes to the number of games. Still, Major League Baseball will retain the right to make all final decisions.
MLB will allow Minor League clubs to schedule gateway games on Thursdays at 7:05 p.m. if the distance either team has to travel after the game is 190 miles or less.
MLB also added a provision that teams couldn't be required to start any earlier than 6:05 p.m. local time on any game in the half-month of which the average daily high temperature was 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
At the Triple-A level, there will be an addition of four games, which will bring the schedules back to what they were at the start of the 2000s.

This new plan's economic impact will depend on the timing of the news schedules and the length of the season. For example, if the Class A season does not start until April 15, 2021, it will limit some of the worst weather that teams might experience; therefore, the economic impact will be modest. However, if the current start date for Class A baseball begins either an earlier end date or a more spread out schedule, the economic impact will be more significant.