Angels could host a playoff game in 2020…without the Angels

In what could be a strange occurrence, the Los Angeles Angels could serve as hosts to a playoff game in 2020 even if the team misses the postseason.

Try as they might, the Los Angeles Angels are not likely to appear in the MLB postseason in 2020. A 10-22 start to the season has them firmly entrenched in last place in the AL West and outside the playoff picture.

However, that doesn’t mean the playoffs won’t roll through Anaheim anyway.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Major League Baseball has been discussing plans for the 2020 postseason to be played in bubble cities. As such, the current plan would see American League teams playing in Southern California and the National League playing in Texas. The World Series would then be playing at the new stadium in Arlington, per Rosenthal.

The talk of bubble cities have been bandied about by MLB and the Players’ Association since the two sides discussed resuming the season. It was ultimately scrapped as players didn’t want to be away from their families for three or four months.

The concept has returned after the NBA found success with it during their restart and for the MLB, this is a much different situation than running an entire season in a bubble. With the postseason being relegated to just October, and each series representing a win-go-home scenario, players seem more open to the idea this time around.

Of course, this all relies on the State of California playing ball with MLB. While they’ve allowed teams to play in their home parks in 2020, having multiple teams converge on the region at the beginning of October is a completely different story.

This would be the first time that Anaheim would play host to playoff baseball since 2014. However, it would be absolutely surreal for that to happen without the Angels vying for a World Series title.

But hey, 2020 right?!