2020-06-11 12:00:00 EDT
Here’s your daily roundup of all the current MLB news that will affect the potential 2020 season. Today we’ve got some more information on a possible start for the actual games as well as a few tidbits from the draft, so let’s take a closer look at today’s MLB news and updates. Get Free MLB Picks and MLB Predictions for every game all season long at Sports Chat Place.
Manfred Guarantees a 2020 Season – Guarantees are just words, but when they’re coming from the MLB Commissioner—and the country is starved for baseball—the words seem to carry a little more weight. Rob Manfred said this week that the MLB will “one-hundred percent” play baseball this season, and technically he’s the only guy who could force it to happen—even if the owners and the players’ union can’t come to an agreement on compensation and number of games.
Here’s a little background on the situation. On March 26, an agreement was established that gives commissioner Manfred the right to unilaterally call for a season of any length, and the players would receive prorated salaries depending on the amount of games. That number of games remains a sticking point in negotiations between the league and the union, and numbers as low as 50 have been floated in a back-and-forth flurry of proposals that’s been going on for weeks. The most recent proposal came from the players and is currently being discussed: an 89-game slate with full prorated pay. The owners will return with a counteroffer—which, judging by the proposals so far will only inch closer to a compromise. This process could take a lot longer to sort out, so we’ll keep you posted.
2020 MLB Draft News – Day 1 of the MLB Draft wrapped up on Wednesday, and Day 2 is scheduled to begin today with Rounds 2-5 beginning at 5 p.m. ET on MLB Network, ESPN2 and streaming on the MLB site. Let’s look at a few highlights from the Round 1 festivities.
The Tigers selected first in Round 1, and it was no surprise they went with 3B Spencer Torkelson out of Arizona State. He’s been called the best offensive talent in the draft since Mark Teixeira all the way back in 2001, and Detroit could really use that bat. Though Torkelson is listed at 3B, he played first base in college and potentially could end up there.
Going at No. 2 overall to the Orioles was OF Heston Kjerstad from Arkansas. Kjerstad is the consensus best left-handed power bat in the draft, but some mocks had him going lower—usually around No. 10 or so. Baltimore likes Kierstad however, and his swing is a perfect fit for the dimensions of Camden Yards. He should be on a fast track to the Majors.
Rounding out the top three of the 2020 MLB Draft is RHP Max Meyer going to the Marlins. Miami didn’t mess around with this pick, as Meyer has a killer slider and a 100 mph fastball. His stuff seems primed for the Show already, so you can expect to see him in a Marlins uniform sooner rather than later. It might even be this season, depending on how things go.
Stay tuned for more season updates and draft notes tomoritem in our daily MLB news roundup.
