With the dawn of the 2021 Major League Baseball regular season upon us, there are some things that fans need to be aware of. There have been a lot of changes in the MLB since the end of the 2020 season, and all of them breed fan excitement. While it was a success that the MLB could complete a season last year, the league had to follow many limitations due to COVID-19: there were no fans allowed in stadiums, and the season schedule was only 60 games. Both of these limitations are being adjusted in the upcoming season, and it is bringing a sense of normalcy to the sport.

The regular season begins on April 1, and we will see fans in attendance in many stadiums. The Texas Rangers are opening Globe Life Field at 100% capacity on April 5, the team’s (its) home opener of the season. It will be the first time fans have seen a full stadium in attendance in over a year. There will be far more people than what most of the other stadiums league-wide will allow. A number of teams are undecided on their guidelines, and in the process of finalizing their decision. Fans have been told that many stadiums will open at some capacity.

According to CBS Sports, the Washington Nationals are opening Nationals Park to 5,000 fans to begin the season, which will create the buzz in the metropolitan area that fans have missed. This is a local example of how the return of fans to stadiums will be implemented.

When asked about the return of fans in MLB stadiums, Junior Will Brandenburg said, “This is a big step in the right direction for the MLB and for sports in general.”

There is a consensus among those who are involved in the MLB, that fan attendance is a win-win for both the franchises and the consumers. Many fans will get to attend professional baseball games again, and the franchises can finally make some money from ticket sales. As long as safety precautions are followed, this looks to improve the overall experience of the MLB.

Another important change in the 2021 season is the full 162-game schedule. This is the normal length of an MLB schedule, but it is a breath of fresh air for fans as we only got to watch the shortened season in 2020.

Brandenburg believes this change will be positive “for the league and for the players. It will be interesting to see how the players react to the normal full schedule,” Brandenburg said.

This is a good point, as the players haven’t endured the full-length season since 2019, and it may prove problematic. The MLB season is the longest of any major professional sports season, and it spans across the hottest months of the year in the United States. Some players that are physically compromised will be more susceptible to injury, and it could affect the outcome of teams’ seasons across the league.

Injuries aside, the MLB looks more competitive than ever before. There have been many big-name acquisitions this offseason, and some of the teams stand out as frontrunners going into 2021.

Junior David Drzewicki shared he’s, “looking forward to seeing the division races, especially the NL West between the Dodgers and Padres, and the AL East with the Rays, Yankees, and Blue Jays,” as well as the performance of 2020 breakout players like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Randy Arozarena.

In the National League, both the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are truly the best show in town. They play in the same state, and share equally great chances of winning a World Series in 2021. The Padres have stars around the diamond: including the aforementioned Tatis Jr. (2020 Silver Slugger Award Winner), and new pitching acquisitions Blake Snell (2020 NL CY Young Runner-up) and Yu Darvish (2018 AL Cy Young Award Winner).  However, the Dodgers are reigning 2020 World Series Champions, who have added Trevor Bauer (2020 NL Cy Young Award Winner) to their already impressive roster. Simply put, the reigning champions of the MLB have signed the best pitcher in the National League- good luck to everyone else.

In the American League, the division to keep an eye on is the AL East. The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees both made playoff runs in 2020. The Rays made it much further, as they reached the World Series, but the Yankees finished with a respectable exit in the American League Division Series (ALDS). Both teams have tasted success, and are ready to compete this year. The Rays did not acquire many notable players, but they re-signed a lot of their remaining team from 2020. However, the Yankees filled their only hole by signing starting pitchers to boost their rotation. They signed a promising young pitcher in Jameson Taillon, and a two-time AL Cy Young Award Winner in Corey Kluber. This makes their rotation one of the strongest in the league, to accompany their electric offense.

Don’t forget about the Toronto Blue Jays either, as they have a young core of players such as: Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Cavan Biggio (all of which are sons of former MLB players). Their team only gained strength when they signed former all-stars George Springer, Marcus Semien, and Kirby Yates (who may be out this season in need of Tommy John surgery). They are ready to make their claim as a team to fear amongst the rest of the league, and they will only look to add to the competitiveness of the 2021 MLB season.