As Major League Baseball gets closer to starting their season, what does the mean for the West Michigan Whitecaps and the minor leagues?

MLB are looking at a 60 game season with some new rules, playoffs and a World Series. For the minor leagues, all is still up in the air right now.

Right now its still unclear if the Whitecaps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark for a short season.

According to WOOD, Whitecaps play by play announcer Dan Hasty, it's still a holding pattern for anything below the MLB.

Hasty said, "because of the agreement made by the players association and the owners, I don't think a decision for Minor League Baseball is far behind. For me personally, I'm bracing for not having a Minor League Baseball season and I hope I'm wrong."

As COVID-19 continues to spread now that states have reopened its really up in the air, even if the Whitecaps come back for a short season, that fans will likely not be in the stands and if so it will only be a few.

There is a lot to keep in mind in bringing back Minor League Baseball, there's player safety, what to pay them due to the shorter season, fans or no fans and the possibility the games may be moved to another state to keep players more in a bubble for safety reasons.

Hasty also feels pretty strong about the team this year saying, "if anything did end up coming to West Michigan, I can tell you this, the Whitecaps are ready for them."

Right now only professional sports have the ok from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and that is because fans are not allowed to attend so odds are, if minor league baseball does return it will most likely be without fans.

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