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Major League Baseball is scheduled to begin its 2020 regular season on Thursday, July 23 -- nearly four months later than originally scheduled. The delay can be blamed primarily on the global pandemic and the spread of COVID-19, but the lengthy (and at times testy) negotiations between the league and the union also contributed to the season's holdup. 

Much has changed, in baseball and the world at large, since the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros in the last meaningful baseball game. With that in mind, we wanted to preview the season by highlighting 10 important on-the-field questions facing the season.

Let's get to it then.

1. Will the ball be juiced, again?

You can be forgiven if you've forgotten about the juiced-ball controversy that plagued MLB last season, when almost every notable and trivial home-run record fell at one point or another. The catalyst was seemingly an altered ball that was drag-resistant -- or, in layman's terms: it carried farther. (Research by Dr. Meredith Wills and Rob Arthur verified the ball was different.)

There's no telling at this point what aerodynamic qualities this year's ball will possess. If it is again lively, then that in concert with the short season could lead to some wacky, albeit entertaining results: Maybe there's a surprise home run champion, or maybe someone hits .400 for the first time since 1941. The possibilities aren't endless, as there's only so much damage a hitter can do over 60 games that would impact the record books, but they are vast. 

While it's not great that the most fundamental aspect of the sport -- the literal piece of equipment the game is named after -- is so prone to variability, it sure is a compelling wild card.

2. How will Astros fare following hellacious winter?

The Astros lost Game 7 of the World Series at home last October, and that was a relative highlight compared to the glut of controversies they've encountered over the past nine months. 

This is a franchise that first had to fire an assistant general manager after he taunted women reporters in the clubhouse over the team's employment of a suspected domestic abuser, then a couple of months later had to fire its general manager and manager for their involvement in a sign-stealing scandal that rocked the sport's integrity. (That's the cute, bite-sized version of those events, by the way; both were much uglier in whole.) Along the way, the Astros lost their ace, one of their better relievers and their starting catcher to their top competition in the American League, the team that beat them in the World Series and a division foe.

Can things get any worse for the Astros? Well, that depends on what happens this season. 

Should they fail to live up to expectations, then more doubt will be cast upon the legitimacy of their past glory. Moreover, they'll likely have to trade impending free-agent George Springer, or otherwise risk losing him this winter for a draft pick. Oh, and a disappointing campaign would also presumably mean Dusty Baker doesn't get a second season at the helm.

If the Astros do what they're expected to do -- win the division, compete for the pennant -- then they'll probably rally around the concept of redemption. At absolute minimum, a deep playoff run would allow the franchise to close the year on a better foot than it started off on.

3. Can the Nationals repeat?

A team has not repeated as World Series champions since the Yankees won three consecutive titles from 1998-2000. It's unclear if the Nationals have what it takes to change that.

The Nationals' rotation, which was worked so hard in October, should benefit from the shorter season. That's good news considering that Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez are arguably more important to Washington now than they were last year. 

That's because the Nationals lost third baseman Anthony Rendon to free agency, and now have a lineup that's even more dependent on aging role players. 

Washington is expected to have three players who are no older than 25 on their Opening Day roster: Juan Soto, Victor Robles and Carter Kieboom. Otherwise, the Nationals have five players who are no younger than 33 years old, including at least three players who are expected to start most days, in Howie Kendrick, Eric Thames, and either Yan Gomes or Kurt Suzuki.

Generally, it's accepted that older players are more likely to experience a collapse in performance. That could prove to be a problem for the Nationals, especially given that their weak farm system limits their ability to make substantive upgrades in-season, either through promotions or trades.

There's no sense writing off the Nationals, not with that rotation, but it's fair to say that it's easier to dream up a scenario where they miss the postseason than where they repeat as champions.

4. Can the Yankees stay healthy, fulfill upside?

The Yankees are widely regarded as one of the favorites to win the World Series, and for good reason. This is a club that won 103 games last season, and then added Gerrit Cole to the mix.

If there is an obvious threat to derail the Yankees' October plans, it's their health situation.

The Yankees won 103 games last season despite leading the majors in days lost to injury, and they would prefer to not have to pull off the same trick this year. GM Brian Cashman overhauled the team's strength and conditioning staffs over the winter, and while they didn't see immediate results during the spring -- indeed, they lost Luis Severino for the season and seemed likely to enter Opening Day without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton or James Paxton -- the pandemic pause has afforded them yet another opportunity to heal up.

The Yankees want to stay healthy for obvious reasons, but doing so is more important this year than during a typical season. After all, missing a month of action during a 60-game season is akin to missing half the schedule. 

5. Can the Dodgers win 40 games or a title?

Such a question would've seemed absurd back in February, but 40 wins in 60 games is proportional to 108 over 162; the 2019 Dodgers, for reference, won 106 games. Dodgers president Andrew Friedman has since added Mookie Betts, the second-best player in the game, to the roster. So, just how good can these Dodgers be, and will they face any challenges in the West?

According to projection systems, the answers are: very, and not really. FanGraphs has the Dodgers down for 36 wins, whereas Baseball Prospectus has them good for 38 wins. As for the division lead, the Dodgers are expected to have between four and nine games of cushion, depending on the reader's system of choice. 

Of course, the bigger question facing the Dodgers isn't whether they can dominate in-season -- they've been there, done that -- but, rather, if they can win the World Series. They haven't done so since 1988.

6. Is this the year for Mike Trout and the Angels?

The Angels, L.A.'s other team, would settle for their first postseason appearance since 2014.

GM Billy Eppler spent the offseason adding veteran pieces to the roster. Third baseman Anthony Rendon was the big catch, but catcher Jason Castro and pitchers Dylan Bundy, Matt Andriese, and Julio Teheran should boost the Angels' run-prevention unit. It doesn't hurt the Angels' chances that they could promote a pair of top outfield prospects in Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh over the course of the summer, either.

Ultimately, the Angels' competitive hopes hinge on the viability and consistency of their pitching staff. It sounds simple enough, but that's been the case for the Angels for years without much success. Maybe things will prove easier over a condensed schedule.

7. Can White Sox, Reds take next step?

The White Sox and the Reds were two of the most aggressive buyers over the winter. Chicago added Yasmani Grandal, Edwin Encarnacion, Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez, while Cincinnati signed Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos, Wade Miley and Shogo Akiyama. 

Will either big offseason pay off and result in a trip to the postseason? Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projection system seems to think so.

PECOTA has the White Sox stationed in third in the AL Central, about four games behind the Twins. Nonetheless, PECOTA thinks the White Sox have a 23.6 percent likelihood of playing in the postseason -- that's about on par with the Angels and the Athletics.

As for the Reds, they're the favorites to win the NL Central, per PECOTA. Cincinnati is thought to have a slight edge over the Cubs, Cardinals and Brewers. PECOTA gives the Reds a 54 percent shot at reaching the playoffs in some capacity. 

Considering the potential for hijinx over a 60-game schedule, it shouldn't surprise anyone if at least one of the two make it to October -- and who knows, maybe both will. 

8. Will Lindor, Arenado, Bryant remain in respective towns?

There has and will continue to be a lot of attention paid to what the pandemic means for free agency this winter. The more pressing matter is what it means for the trade market.

Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor, Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado and Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant were all rumored to be on the block over the winter. Ostensibly, all three could be shopped around this summer if their teams fall out of contention. 

The question then becomes will anyone bite? Or will teams be more cost-averse, in terms of dollars and prospects, due to the lost revenue and the short season? There's no way of knowing the answers at present, but it's something to think about as the Aug. 31 deadline nears.

9. Which top prospects will reach the majors?

A couple of weeks ago, we touched on why some league insiders believe teams will be reluctant to engage in service-time manipulation this season. Whether or not that proves to be the case, a number of well-regarded prospects should reach the majors before the year is out.

Rays shortstop Wander Franco, our No. 1 prospect, might be among them, but here are the top five prospects (according to our preseason list) who have a good shot at premiering this season:

In other words, it should be a good time to be a fan of young talent.

10. Will any draftees debut this season?

In a typical season, the answer would be "not a chance." This year is different, for reasons we've outlined before. As a result, don't be surprised if someone like Reid Detmers (Angels), Garrett Crochet (White Sox) or Burl Carraway (Cubs) makes their first professional appearance as part of a big-league roster. (We covered those and a few other possibilities earlier this year.)

No matter what happens, it's going to be an odd, memorable season.