MLB and MLBPA agree to form a postseason bubble

MLB postseason to be played in California and Texas bubbles

Consider a scenario where the Cubs and White Sox meet in the World Series, but the games are played more than 800 miles from Chicago. It could happen in this, the most unique baseball season on record.

Major League Baseball and the Players Association agreed on Tuesday to play the postseason in two bubbles, in Southern California and Texas, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. An official announcement is expected later in the day.

Under this plan, the National League playoffs will be played at two stadiums in Texas: Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, and Minute Maid Park in Houston. The American League, meanwhile, will play at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and Petco Park in San Diego. The World Series will be held at Globe Life Field beginning Oct. 20. The best-of-three first round, though, will still be held at home ballparks.

To avoid a lengthy intake process and the possibility of a player bringing COVID-19 into the bubbles, all players on potential playoff teams will have to quarantine in a hotel for the last seven days of the regular season, even while at home. They will also be subject to daily testing. Family members will be allowed, but only if they isolate for seven days in a different hotel than the players.

The idea behind splitting up the leagues is to avoid giving a club an unfair home-field advantage during the postseason. The Dodgers and Padres, for instance, will likely be in the playoffs in the NL, but they’ll have to leave California and play in Texas.

A bubble can be popped, but conducting the postseason in this manner reduces the risk of MLB repeating a situation like what happened with the Marlins and Cardinals in the regular season. The NHL and NBA are playing their playoffs in bubbles which, so far, have gone smoothly.

MLB learned a lesson from what those leagues have done about how to play sports during a global pandemic: bubbles work. The league and union paid attention and did the only thing that will ensure the World Series trophy is handed out on time in 2020.