The 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season has ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers being crowned champions, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 in a seven game series. 

The clinching game was won in front of a limited capacity crowd in Los Angeles, ending their World Series drought after 32 years, with the last one being in 1988. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MLB association was forced to put the season on hold until further notice. While other sports leagues in America gradually continued back up in late May and early June, the MLB and Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA)  couldn’t agree on start dates, games played and profit the players would make. At times, there were rumors the season wouldn’t even take place in 2020. 

Eventually, the two agreed and the season started up in July. The league was introduced to a 60-game schedule played against teams based on geographical destination, compared to a common 162 game schedule. 

Many games were postponed, some even cancelled, due to cases of COVID on teams. Some teams such as the Miami Marlins had an outbreak that prevented them from playing a larger portion of the season. There were hints at full league shutdown or postponement, however the games continued after outbreaks went down and teams were cleared. 

The Houston Astros were knocked out in the semifinals by the Rays, which made all of America — besides Houston — happy. The Astros were champions of 2019, but evidence was later leaked that their dugout had cheated into stealing play calls from other teams. When the news came out of that, the whole baseball world was in a big fuss. Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly intentionally tried to hit an Astros player after the leaked news. The baseball fanatics loved that.

By the time the World Series started, it had been a while since any incidents relating to COVID happened. But during game six, Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was removed in the sixth inning because his COVID test that morning had just come back positive. L.A. went on to win the game and the World Series that night, which Turner later had returned to the field celebrating with the team and family members. 

This moment sparked controversy all over, not just in the baseball world. Some said he could have spread it to someone on that field who later would have complications. Others argued he was around them every single day and this was what he had worked hard for in life, to win the World Series. 

Dodgers president Andrew Friedman said to the press later on, “I think for him, being a free agent, not knowing exactly how the future is going to play out, I don’t think anyone was going to stop him from going [onto the field].”

There were many big plots that happened over the course of the season. It’ll be remembered for a long time as it was historic and crazy. No one knew what was going to happen next. The chaos of a season has now come to an end.