WORLD SERIES CHAMPION
Los Angeles Dodgers
Dodgers over the Rays (4-2)
World Series MVP: Corey Seager (LAD)
10/20: Rays 3 – Dodgers 8
10/21: Rays 6 – Dodgers 410/23: Dodgers 6 – Rays 210/24: Dodgers 7 – Rays 8
10/25: Dodgers 4 – Rays 2
10/27: Rays 1 – Dodgers 3
After winning their division for the last eight consecutive seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally managed to win the World Series after a 23-year drought. By beating the Tampa Bay Rays in six games, the Dodgers solidified themselves not only as the best team of the regular season but of all of 2020.
No-Hitters
August 25: Lucas Giolito, White Sox 4 – Pirates 0
September 13: Alec Mills, Cubs 12 – Brewers 0
The COVID19 60-Game Season
With the 2020 baseball season over, let’s take this opportunity to dig into what was one of the strangest and shortest seasons anyone could have imagined. Shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic, this once in a century global health crisis upended the MLB season in many different ways.
When much of the globe shut down in the second week of March, so too did Spring Training, with no sense of when the actual season would start. Baseball went into a period of hibernation, and then negotiation — much of which was in bad faith — between the owners and player’s association.
While all sides came to a surprisingly quick agreement on accepting pro-rated player salaries based on the number of games played, the negotiations on the season’s length and playing conditions were ridiculous. Each side used the media to sway the public’s opinions on the situation, and both sides came off looking bad. It was clear that the players wanted to play as many games as possible, and the owners wanted no more than 40% of the schedule played.
With a rushed summer camp pre-season, it was clear that a lot of players weren’t in the proper condition. In addition to some early injuries, the beginning of the season’s defining moments were health scares, sloppy plays and players opting out.
In addition to no spitting and touching rules — which were somewhat respected — the adjusted schedule had teams only play in their division and the corresponding league’s division. For the first time, MLB included a universal designated hitter, which will probably outlive this season. Things felt slightly off, expanding the first round of playoffs to sixteen teams and then holding later rounds in hub cities. On the other hand, after some early Covid-19 outbreaks, it made sense to do as much as possible to reduce exposure and travel.
Some of the highlights of the season were:
- The Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays playing way above expectations and making the playoffs
- Freddy Freeman going from battling a severe bout of Covid-19 to winning the National League MVP
- Shane Bieber’s dominant season with a strikeout per nine inning rate of 14.2
- Unknown rookie Randy Arozerena pulling off one of the best post-seasons in baseball history
While the residual effects of the global health pandemic will impact the 2021 season in some still unknown ways, expect the owners to do everything they can to get fans back in the stands as quickly as possible.
National League
| EAST | W | L | % | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 35 | 25 | .583 | – |
| Miami Marlins | 31 | 29 | .517 | 4.0 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 28 | 32 | .467 | 7.0 |
| New York Mets | 26 | 34 | .433 | 9.0 |
| Wash. Nationals | 26 | 34 | .433 | 9.0 |
| CENTRAL | W | L | % | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs | 34 | 26 | .567 | – |
| Cincinnati Reds | 31 | 29 | .517 | 3.0 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 30 | 28 | .517 | 3.0 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 29 | 31 | .483 | 5.0 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 19 | 41 | .317 | 15.0 |
| WEST | W | L | % | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 43 | 17 | .717 | – |
| San Diego Padres | 37 | 23 | .617 | 6.0 |
| San Francisco Giants | 29 | 31 | .483 | 14.0 |
| Colorado Rockies | 26 | 34 | .433 | 17.0 |
| Arz. Diamondbacks | 25 | 35 | .417 | 18.0 |
National League Awards
WAR: Mookie Betts (LAD), 3.4
MVP: Freddie Freeman (ATL)
Cy Young: Trevor Bauer (CIN)
Rookie of the Year: Devin Williams (MIL)
Batting Title: Juan Soto (WSN), .351
Home Runs: Marcell Ozuna (ATL), 18
RBIs: Marcell Ozuna (ATL), 56
Wins: Yu Darvish (CHC), 8
ERA: Trevor Bauer (CIN), 1.73
Strikeouts: Jacob deGrom (NYM), 104
National League Playoffs
NLCS, Dodgers win 4-3
10/12: Braves 5 – Dodgers 1
10/13: Braves 8 – Dodgers 7
10/14: Dodgers 15 – Braves 3
10/15: Dodgers 2 – Braves 10
10/16: Dodgers 7 – Braves 3
10/17: Braves 1 – Dodgers 3
10/18: Braves 3 – Dodgers 4
NLDS, Dodgers win 3-0
10/06: Padres 1 – Dodgers 5
10/07: Padres 5 – Dodgers 6
10/08: Dodgers 12 – Padres 3
NLDS, Braves win 3-0
10/06: Marlins 5 – Braves 9
10/07: Marlins 0 – Braves 2
10/08: Braves 7 – Marlins 0
NL Wild Card Series
09/30: Reds 0 – Braves 1 (13)
10/01: Reds 0 – Braves 5
09/30: Marlins 5 – Cubs 1
10/02: Marlins 2 – Cubs 0
09/39: Cardinals 7 – Padres 4
10/01: Cardinals 9 – Padres 11
10/02: Cardinals 0 – Padres 4
09/30: Brewers 2 – Dodgers 4
10/01: Brewers 0 – Dodgers 3
American League
| EAST | W | L | % | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays | 40 | 20 | .667 | – |
| New York Yankees | 33 | 27 | .550 | 7.0 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 32 | 28 | .533 | 8.0 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 25 | 35 | .417 | 15.0 |
| Boston Red Sox | 24 | 36 | .400 | 16.0 |
| CENTRAL | W | L | % | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins | 36 | 24 | .600 | – |
| Chicago White Sox | 35 | 25 | .583 | 1.0 |
| Cleveland Indians | 35 | 25 | .583 | 1.0 |
| Kansas City Royals | 26 | 34 | .433 | 10.0 |
| Detroit Tigers | 23 | 35 | .397 | 12.0 |
| WEST | W | L | % | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Athletics | 36 | 24 | .600 | – |
| Houston Astros | 29 | 31 | .483 | 7.0 |
| Seattle Mariners | 27 | 33 | .450 | 9.0 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 26 | 34 | .433 | 10.0 |
| Texas Rangers | 22 | 38 | .367 | 14.0 |
American League Awards
WAR: Shane Bieber (CLE), 3.3
MVP: Jose Abreu (CHW)
Cy Young: Shane Bieber (CLE)
Rookie of the Year: Kyle Lewis (SEA)
Batting Title: DJ LeMahieu (NYY), .364
Home Runs: Luke Volt (NYY), 22
RBIs: Jose Abreu (CHW), 60
Wins: Shane Bieber (CLE), 8
ERA: Shane Bieber (CLE), 163
Strikeouts: Shane Bieber (CLE), 122
American League Playoffs
ALCS, Rays win 4-3
10/11: Astros 1 – Rays 2
10/12: Astros 2 – Rays 4
10/13: Rays 5 – Astros 2
10/14: Rays 3 – Astros 4
10/15: Rays 3 – Astros 4
10/16: Astros 7 – Rays 4
10/17: Astros 2 – Rays 4
ALDS, Rays win 3-2
10/05: Yankees 9 – Rays 3
10/06: Yankees 5 – Rays 7
10/07: Rays 8 – Yankees 4
10/08: Rays 1 – Yankees 5
10/09: Yankees 1 – Rays 2
ALDS, Astros win 3-1
10/05: Astros 10 – Athletics 5
10/06: Astros 5 – Athletics 2
10/07: Athletics 9 – Astros 7
10/08: Athletics 6 – Astros 11
AL Wild Card Series
09/29: White Sox 4 – Athletics 1
09/30: White Sox 3 – Athletics 5
10/01: White Sox 4 – Athletics 6
09/29: Astros 4 – Twins 1
09/30: Astros 3 – Twins 1
09/29: Yankees 12 – Indians 3
09/30: Yankees 10 – Indians 9
09/29: Blue Jays 1 – Rays 3
09:30: Blue Jays 2 – Rays 8