Rob Manfred: MLB 'will be more aggressive about having fans' in 2021

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says that the league plans to have fans at games next season, at least in places where government officials will allow them to.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans were not allowed to attend any games this year except for the League Championship Series and World Series, where 11,500 fans were in attendance at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, in October. Now with the NFL successfully having fans attend games at certain stadiums this season, it's no surprise that Manfred plans to follow suit for the MLB.

"As we look forward, we will be more aggressive about having fans in ballparks," Manfred said during a virtual discussion that included NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. "There were places where we could have had fans this year, and in fact, we did have fans for the LCS and the World Series in Texas."

Manfred acknowledged that the ballparks would not be at full capacity, as the increased likelihood of an outbreak makes that far too unsafe for the foreseeable future. He did say he hoped "to get people accustomed to the idea that you can go to these live events with appropriate protocols, pods of people, social distancing, masks, and do it safely."

With MLB viewership down this season, Manfred said he believes fans being unable to attend games as a primary reason for the decline in ratings. With fans able to attend in 2021, he thinks that viewership will bounce back.