A guide to baseball’s reopening: Which stadiums require masks and how many fans can come in?
CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Major League Baseball teams have been adjusting their COVID-19 restrictions on the fly this season. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state and local leaders, relax guidelines and restrictions, teams missing out on months of revenue are welcoming more fans back in.
At least six teams (the Rockies, Braves, Tigers, Twins, Royals and Rangers) have removed mask requirements. Another five (the Red Sox, Cardinals, Pirates, Astros and Mariners) say only unvaccinated fans will need to wear them. But how those teams would enforce that distinction is mostly unclear.
The Pirates, Diamondbacks, Nationals, Braves, Red Sox, Twins, Mets, Yankees, Reds, Phillies, Astros, Rangers and Brewers have all either opened stadiums at full capacity, or announced plans to do so.
Here’s a look at how all 30 teams, including one trapped away from its true home, are handling fans and masks now.
Arizona
Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks will welcome 100% capacity beginning May 25. Masks will still be required.
California
A’s
The Oakland Athletics are letting in about 26% capacity, or about 12,180 fans. Masks are mandatory.
Angels
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are following current California rules, which allow for 33% capacity. That is roughly 15,000 fans. Masks are required for all.
Dodgers
Current California rules allow for 33% capacity, which is roughly 18,480 fans. However, team officials said the state’s social distancing rules mean they can’t quite seat that many guests. The team also has room for about 1,000 fans in a vaccinated-only section of the stadium that will be more full. Masks are required for all.
Giants
Current California rules allow for 33% capacity, but the Giants are taking advantage of rules that allow more vaccinated fans. They currently can have about half of their full 41,000 spectators.
Padres
The Padres are letting 33% capacity into their socially distanced sections, but allow double in for their vaccinated sections. Masks are still required for all.
Colorado
Rockies
The Rockies are among the teams that have lifted their mask requirements. They currently allow 42.6% of their capacity in, but that will jump to 70% June 1.
District of Columbia
Nationals
The Washington Nationals will allow 36% capacity beginning May 21, and can welcome a full house June 11. All fans will need to wear masks.
Florida
Marlins
The Miami Marlins are allowing 9,000 fans in, or roughly 25% of their stadium capacity. Masks are required.
Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays also only allow 9,000 fans in, but the team has not announced plans for its June games yet. They’re only selling tickets one month at a time as rules change. Masks are required.
Georgia
Braves
The Atlanta Braves became the first team to remove capacity restrictions full-time on May 7. The team followed that up later in the month by announcing fans wouldn’t need to wear masks after the CDC said vaccinated adults were safe to go without them in most settings, including crowds.
Illinois
Cubs
The Chicago Cubs will increase their capacity from 25% to 60% on May 24, but masks will still be required. The team has also experimented with a vaccinated-only section in the stadium’s iconic bleachers, but it’s unclear if that will stick around.
White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are also boosting capacity from 25% to 60% on May 28 with masks for all in attendance. They also have two vaccinated-only sections.
Maryland
Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles have kept their capacity at 25% since the season started, despite Gov. Larry Hogan giving his thumbs up to as much as 50% before the season started. Masks are required.
Massachusetts
Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox will open their doors to all 37,755 people their landmark stadium can hold on May 29. Masks are only required for unvaccinated fans.
Missouri
Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals will reduce the distance between their seating pods from 6 feet down to 3 feet on May 21. That will get them to about 50% capacity. Masks are only required for unvaccinated fans.
Royals
The Kansas City Royals are welcoming about 46% of their capacity with no mask requirement. The seating pods are 3 feet apart.
New York
Blue Jays
No, this isn’t a typo. The Toronto Blue Jays are playing in Buffalo, New York. They played the season to this point in Dunedin, Florida because Canada would not allow U.S. teams to go in and out during the pandemic. However, the team needed to leave their Florida stadium to make room for a minor league team to begin their season. At Sahlen Field in Buffalo, the Blue Jays can welcome 5,800 fans or so. There is a section for fully vaccinated guests, but masks are required. The stadium could welcome its full 16,600 fans on July 1.
Mets
The New York Mets will get a slight capacity bump to 22% on May 24, but New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says capacity restrictions will go away July 1. The Mets also have a fully vaccinated section. Masks are still required.
Yankees
The Yankees are allowing 33% of their capacity in as of May 19, but they also have a vaccinated section. Masks are still required, but, like the Mets and Blue Jays, they could bring in their full allotment of fans July 1.
Ohio
Indians
The Cleveland Indians are allowing 40% capacity for now, and masks are required. Gov. Mike DeWine has said capacity restrictions will go away June 2, but the Indians have not announced any changes to their COVID-19 protocols yet.
Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are taking Gov. DeWine’s eased restrictions and adjusting. They will lift their capacity restrictions on June 2, as soon as they’re able. As of now, everyone is required to wear masks.
Pennsylvania
Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are bringing in 37% capacity beginning May 21, but it jumps to 100% June 12. Social distancing has been reduced from 6 feet down to 3 feet.
Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are allowing a quarter of the stadium’s 38,747 fans through May, and will widen that to 55% beginning June 3 and 100% by July 1. are only requiring unvaccinated guests to wear masks.
Texas
Astros
The Houston Astros are opening up to full capacity May 25, and will only require unvaccinated fans to wear masks.
Rangers
The Texas Rangers, who play in Arlington, notably opened their season at 100% capacity before reducing it with social-distanced pod seating. However, as the season has gone on, the team has removed social distancing and mask requirements altogether.
Washington
Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are welcoming 14,000 fans, or a little less than one-third their capacity. The team is also allowing vaccinated fans to give proof of their status in exchange for a wristband that lets them in the stadium without a mask. They also have sections for fully vaccinated fans.
Wisconsin
Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers escalated their capacity to 50% on May 15, and the restriction goes away June 25. All fans are required to wear masks.