MLB holds historic 2021 season opener

Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Opening Day arrived on April 1 to the joy of baseball aficionados worldwide. With last year being somewhat of a disaster in terms of revenue and fan interest, in many ways, this new season represents an opportunity for Commissioner Rob Manfred to right the ship and return the league to the financial success it once was.

The league’s clear priority this season has been to revitalize fan interest by promoting ticket sales, which constitutes a large share of their annual revenue. In 2020, they lost billions of dollars as a result of not having any fans in the stands. Even more revenue was lost from not being able to collect on traditional stadium amenities (food, merchandise, parking). As stadium capacity guidelines are being eased in every state, most franchises around the league are planning on gradually increasing the number of admitted fans as the season progresses in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus as much as possible. 

The Texas Rangers, however, decided to begin the season at full capacity — a move that was widely denounced after images of maskless, crowded fans surfaced in the aftermath of their opening series. At 38,232 people, the event marked the largest crowd at a United States sporting event since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The rationale for this decision centered around the franchise’s prior experience with hosting major events in the midst of the pandemic, including the 2020 World Series and the National Finals Rodeo.      

The Rangers were also subject to a controversy involving Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who declined to throw out the ceremonial first pitch in their opening game in response to the MLB’s decision to move the All-Star Game (ASG) away from Atlanta, Georgia. Abbott criticized the league for using the ASG to take a stand against Georgia’s new election reform bill, referring to the decision as “influenced by partisan political politics.” Aside from being a PR nightmare, Commissioner Manfred’s job security is seemingly on thin ice as a result of the backlash, especially considering his perceived mishandling of the Astros cheating scandal following the 2019 World Series.

Controversy aside, the league’s abundance of talent has only improved and continues to bring in new fans to the sport. Sluggers Juan Soto, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Fernando Tatis — all under 25 years old — headline an impressive array of young hitting talent that is already putting the rest of the league on notice. On the rubber, pitchers such as Shane Bieber and Lucas Gioloto have similarly excelled as premier players at their position, and exemplify how far the league’s talent has come in only the past few seasons.

According to FiveThirtyEight, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the greatest odds of winning the 2021 World Series. Should they make it that far, a matchup with either the New York Yankees or Houston Astros likely awaits. With the Astros being only two years removed from their massive cheating scandal, many are hoping for a face-off against Los Angeles that would allow the two teams to build on the tension that has been steadily brewing and, in turn, generate more interest for the league. 

No matter what team ultimately triumphs at the season’s end, it is safe to say that the MLB has a lot of work to do in the coming months. Not only to make up for last year’s financial woes, but also to ensure as safe an environment as possible for fans and players alike.