Leave the Rule Changes In 2020

As incredible as it may seem, we've almost reached the end of this most unusual of baseball seasons.  And with it, hopefully, will go the rule changes that were put into place for this season.  They were necessary for the dumpster fire of a year that is 2020.  That's where they should remain.  Once the calendar flips to 2021, let's go back to the rules that we all know and love.

I've already made my feelings on the seven-inning doubleheaders known.  This is the one that broadcasters seem to love the most, but I think is highly unlikely to continue.  Nor should it.  Because not only is it stupid, it's unnecessary.

Seven-inning doubleheaders make sense when you're trying to play 60 games in 66 days and teams need to play multiple doubleheaders in a week.  When you're playing 162 games over the course of six months, they do not.  In fact, doubleheaders have become increasingly rare.  Last season, seven teams didn't play any and seven others only played one.  That's nearly half of baseball!  And it's not really asking too much from your pitching staff to play two nine-inning games in one day two or three times over the course of a 181-day season.

All of the logistical issues with split doubleheaders aside, the popular argument in favor of the seven-inning twinbills seems to be that it would allow MLB to schedule more throughout the season and give teams additional off days.  But I think if you were to ask the players, they'd prefer fewer off days to more doubleheaders.  Especially since rosters will go back to 26 men next season.

While I'm on the subject, the 28-man roster is definitely a 2020-only change.  The initial plan for this season was to gradually go from 30 to 28 to 26, which was set to become the new standard roster size this season.  After all of the issues with positive tests early in the season, though, they decided to leave it at 28 all year.  This gave teams the extra pitchers that were needed for all those doubleheaders.  Extra pitchers they won't need available for every game next season.

Regarding pitchers, they were originally going to implement a rule this year with a maximum number that each team could have on its roster, so as to prevent the ridiculous overloading of bullpens that has become all too commonplace.  But because of everything that went on and wanting to make sure pitchers stayed healthy, that maximum wasn't implemented.  Teams could have as many pitchers as they wanted on the 28-man roster.  Next year when it goes back to 26, expect the 13-pitcher limit to be in place.

The other major rule change this season was the extra inning rule.  As soon as a game goes into extra innings, teams have an automatic runner at second base to start each inning.  This is the tiebreaker that has been used internationally, at the college level, and in the Minor Leagues for a few years now, but no one thought it would ever make its way to Major League Baseball.  Until 2020 came along, when it was implemented as a way to hopefully prevent those 15- or 16-inning games that last all night.

Fortunately, this rule change only applied to the regular season.  Once the postseason starts on Tuesday, it's back to normal.  Teams won't get a free runner.  They'll have to manufacture runs all on their own.  Just like they always have.

This was perhaps the most controversial of the 2020 rule changes.  Some of the critics have come around, while others still don't like it and never will.  I fall into the latter category. 

On the surface, I don't have an issue with the international tiebreaker.  In short tournaments like the World Baseball Classic or Olympics, it's necessary in order to keep the event on schedule (or at least as close to on schedule as possible).  But it doesn't belong in Major League Baseball.  Even if it did lead to some new dynamics and scenarios we never thought we'd see (such as leadoff two-run homers).

My biggest problem with it in the Majors is that they immediately go to the tiebreaker as soon as the game goes to the 10th (or eighth).  If this change becomes permanent (which I hope it doesn't), that's one element of it I'd like to see changed.  Don't go to it right away.  Let them play the 10th and maybe even the 11th, then if it's still tied, go to the tiebreaker in the 12th.  (It's like when Wimbledon finally implemented the final set tiebreaker last year.  It doesn't take effect until 12-12, so they still have a chance to resolve things the regular way before going to the tiebreaker.)

Then there's the expanded postseason.  This year's bracket, of course, has been extended from five teams per league to eight, with the best-of-three Wild Card Series on the home fields of the top four seeds set for next week.  This was originally intended to be another 2020-only change.  And it was put in because of how short the season was.  Teams only played 60 games, which didn't leave much margin for error.  So the postseason field was expanded as a fail safe to protect the good teams from being eliminated because of a bad two weeks.

But, we should've figured that, of course, there'd immediately be a push among some owners to make it permanent.  At the very least, they should wait and see how next week goes before pushing for a permanent change, but even then I don't like it. 

Baseball is the one sport that doesn't have half the teams make the playoffs!  Because there's no need for it!  In a 60-game season, there isn't enough time for teams to separate themselves the way they normally would, so the expanded postseason is appropriate.  It gives all 16 teams an equal chance.  But it should be pretty clear after 162 games which handful of teams are legitimately good and have a chance of winning the World Series.  And, sorry, but if you finish 79-83, you shouldn't be guaranteed a playoff spot just because you finished second in your division! 

One last change that was put into place for 2020 will almost certainly become permanent, which will be controversial to some and long overdue to others.  I'm, of course, talking about the DH in the National League.  It's something that many considered inevitable, and the time has come.  And, as people have seen this season, it may change the "National League game," but it doesn't necessarily hurt it.  People don't want to watch pitchers hit.  It's as simple as that.

That's perhaps the one good thing we can take away from this season.  The DH made its way to the National League and the world didn't end (I understand that's probably not the most appropriate analogy to be using right now, but I couldn't think of a better one).  Pitchers might get one last hurrah at the plate next season.  But once the new CBA takes effect, they can turn in their bats and helmets forever.