Baseball looked a whole lot different in 2020.

There were no fans, stadiums generated crowd noise and Fox broadcasts ushered in weird, computer-generated ballpark goers for a time. Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays were not even in their own market, playing home games in Buffalo, New York. 

The 60-game slate and expanded playoffs allowed for Cinderella stories and created a new Wild Card Round. Many wondered whether the shortened campaign threatened the integrity of the season. Yet, the two best teams met in the World Series.

In a year that featured a pandemic and labor issues, the 2020 MLB season still provided indelible moments. Here are the 10 most memorable, based both on the impact of the moment at the time as well as the holistic importance in context of the season. Most of the moments occurred in the playoffs, when the tension and stakes were at their highest.

Just Missed the Cut

Honorable Mentions 

1. Shane Bieber's historic strikeout streak and dominance

2. Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac break COVID-19 protocol, cause internal rift

3. Josh Donaldson homers, is ejected by Dan Bellino after kicking dirt on home plate

4. Freddie Freeman wins NL MVP after scary bout with COVID-19

5. "Bottom Feeder" Marlins reach the playoffs

6. Fernando Tatis Jr. sparks debate about "unwritten rules" with 3-0 grand slam

7. Tatis, Manny Machado lead epic Wild Card comeback

8. Cody Bellinger gives Dodgers the lead in NLCS Game 7

10. MLB Shuts Down Spring Training

We begin with the occurrence that underscored the new reality of baseball in 2020.

Once the coronavirus crisis turned into a pandemic, it was inevitable that it would impact North American sports leagues. The NBA was the first to suspend its season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 on March 11. Major League Baseball canceled spring training and delayed the 2020 season the following day.

That marked the start of a long, winding labor battle that seemed to widen the gap between owners and players, hardly the best sign considering the collective bargaining agreement expires 2021. Even when MLB and the players union agreed to terms, there was an aura of uncertainty.

MLB summer camps went on mostly without a hitch in terms of positive COVID-19 cases, though a few notable cases cropped up, such as that of eventual 2020 NL MVP Freddie Freeman, and signs of trouble loomed.

Testing delays clouded things almost from the jump in early July, with results getting backlogged and a general lack of clarity making things dicey. It seemed things were bound to get worse once teams began traveling. 

Indeed, the Miami Marlins experienced the first outbreak just days into the new season, with MLB scrambling to make a decision on games and highlighting the fact that the league office did not have a clear procedure for an event like this. This was followed by another outbreak in St. Louis and a subsequent warning of a shutdown from Manfred.

It seemed mind-boggling the commissioner's office was so unprepared for such a scenario considering the risks associated with even implementing a season.

Even when the league instituted a playoff bubble, Justin Turner's positive test and the events that unfolded during and after Game 6 of the World Series only added to the skepticism regarding MLB's readiness regarding the pandemic.

More than ever, there are real questions about leadership. Those questions have been brewing for years, but they really began in earnest after spring training was canceled.

9. The Mookie Betts Trade Saga

It became increasingly likely the Boston Red Sox would trade Mookie Betts as the 2019-20 MLB offseason rolled along.

Betts was entering his final year of arbitration, and there were no clear indications the sides would agree to an extension. With Boston hoping to slash payroll, the Red Sox moved Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Except, it was hardly that simple.

Originally, the Minnesota Twins were supposed to be part of a three-team deal with the Red Sox and Dodgers. Minnesota was supposed to send pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston while acquiring Kenta Maeda from L.A., but the deal fell apart when the Red Sox expressed concern over Graterol's health.

This led to a bunch of strange maneuvering whereby the Dodgers negotiated directly with the Twins to acquire Graterol from Minnesota for Maeda. Oh, and they still ended up with both Betts and Price after sending Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs and Connor Wong to Boston. 

The Dodgers also had a deal in place to send Joc Pederson to the Los Angeles Angels as all this was unfolding, though that trade also collapsed once the framework of the Betts trade was finalized.

All the moving parts made for a tremendously confusing couple of days in February and even prompted Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark to issue a statement chastising the organizations involved and the "unethical leaking" of medical records. 

Ultimately, the Dodgers made out better than they might have otherwise. Graterol impressed in his debut season and looks like a future lynchpin in L.A.'s bullpen. And not only was Betts an MVP candidate and World Series champ, but he also agreed to a 12-year extension. 

Maeda was a Cy Young candidate and anchors the Twins rotation on a team-friendly deal. As for the Red Sox? Well, 2020 wasn't much fun.

8. Lucas Giolito's Dominant No-Hitter

Chicago pitchers threw two no-hitters in 2020, with the first being tossed by White Sox ace Lucas Giolito.

The California native began his professional career with the Washington Nationals after they drafted him with the 16th pick in 2012. Giolito would reach the majors in 2016 before being traded to the White Sox as part of a package for Adam Eaton after that season.

Things did not initially go as planned for Giolito on the South Side. He went 10-13 with a 6.13 ERA in 32 starts in 2018, leading baseball in earned runs (118) while also leading the AL in walks (90).

Just one year later, however, Giolito was an All-Star, with a 3.41 ERA in 29 starts and a career-high 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings. It was one of the more notable year-over-year transformations in recent memory, and a strong follow-up in 2020 (3.48 ERA in 12 starts) has since cinched the notion Giolito is a star.

The 26-year-old also gave fans the best pitching performance of the season when he threw a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 25.

Giolito struck out 13 Bucs and needed just 101 pitches to complete his masterpiece, which he clinched when Erik Gonzalez lined out to White Sox right fielder Adam Engel to end it. He finished with a Game Score of 99, per Baseball Reference, just one shy of the heralded 100 mark.

Chicago heads into 2021 having grabbed another top arm in Lance Lynn. But Giolito still holds the keys to the rotation, and the White Sox will hope he has plenty more excellent performances in store next season.

7. Alec Mills' Fairytale No-No

Giolito's no-hitter was more dominant than that of Chicago Cubs soft-baller Alec Mills (game score of 89), but Mills' achievement was perhaps more storybook in nature.

Mills was a walk-on at the University of Tennessee at Martin before being selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 22nd round in 2012, the same draft in which the Nats took Giolito.

Unlike Giolito, however, Mills was never a top prospect. He would spend eight seasons in the minor leagues and was designated for assignment by Kansas City in 2017 after a brief big league showing in 2016. 

It was not until a move to the Cubs that he would see more of an opportunity. Mills became a spot starter for Chicago toward the end of the 2019 season and earned a place in the starting rotation ahead of the 2020 campaign.

The 29-year-old had an up-and-down year in his first full season as a starter. Mills was 5-5 with a respectable 4.48 ERA in 11 starts, but his strikeout rate plummeted and he gave up 1.9 homers per nine innings.

However, Mills' ability to keep hitters off balance and get outs was on full display against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 13.

The right-hander benefited from luck and some strong defense but also recorded 10 ground-ball outs and a number of lazy fly balls. He went the distance without allowing a hit, recording the 16th no-hitter in Cubs history and reaching the peak of an unlikely MLB journey.

6. Joe Kelly Becomes a Meme

Joe Kelly's place on this list is in cement, both for what the moment meant in terms of cultural salience as well as what it represented for baseball fans. 

The first meeting between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros had the makings of a contentious affair after massive revelations last fall and winter regarding Houston's sign-stealing scandal during 2017 and part of 2018. After all, it was the Dodgers who fell to the Astros in seven games during the 2017 World Series.

Kelly was there to fan the flames.

Things seemed mostly calm in the early parts of the July 28 meeting between the clubs. But the tension rose when Kelly launched a 3-0 fastball behind the ear of Astros third baseman Alex Bregman in the sixth inning.

Later in the frame, Kelly lost the handle on a pitch that dropped Carlos Correa to the dirt, earning a glare for the Astros shortstop. Kelly would strike out Correa and let him hear all about it en route to the dugout. Then came the pouting face.

Kelly's expression and chirping led benches to clear in MLB's first notable on-field breach of COVID-19 protocols. The moment won ESPN's Best Meme of 2020. It led to a massive social media reaction.

More notably, however, the face essentially took on a life of its own as a symbol for the disdain many fans felt toward the Astros in light of the sign-stealing scandal. 

Oakland Athletics outfielder Ramon Laureano would also have his high-profile moment involving the Astros during a benches-clearing brawl, but the far-reaching impact of Kelly's expression earns this spot.

5. Mike Brosseau's Revenge on Aroldis Chapman

The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees developed even more of a heated rivalry in 2020, with Rays utility man Mike Brosseau and Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman at the center of it all. 

For starters, we should acknowledge these teams have engaged in beanball before. Former Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia was ejected from a blowout win in September 2018 for backing catcher Austin Romine and hitting Jesus Sucre in the knee with a pitch. The veteran starter even lost a bonus based on an innings benchmark, though the Bronx Bombers would later fulfill that bonus. 

Two years later, there was more September tension between the clubs. It reached a boiling point Sept. 1, when—after more beanball—Chapman threw a ball over Brosseau's head. Benches cleared, and the incident led to Rays manager Kevin Cash saying, "I have a whole damn stable full of guys that throw 98 mph."

Fast-forward to the American League Division Series. The Rays and Yankees split the first four games, with a winner-take-all Game 5 tied at 1-1 entering the bottom of the eighth inning. Enter: Brosseau and Chapman. 

New York's closer had entered the game in the seventh, and he got the first out of the eighth before Brosseau came to the dish. The 26-year-old had just four plate appearances in the series before stepping in to face Chapman, but he would conduct one of the best at-bats of the year. 

Brosseau fought back from an 0-2 count, fouling off an assortment of fastballs and sliders and battling to a full count before launching the 10th pitch of the at-bat just over the left field wall. The Rays closed it out in the top of the ninth, advancing to the ALCS.

For Brosseau, it was vindication. Meanwhile, the moment also conjured past images of late-game homers off Chapman, including Jose Altuve's walk-off dinger in Game 6 of the 2019 ALCS.

4. Mookie Robs Freddie Freeman in Game 7 of NLCS

Cody Bellinger's robbery of Fernando Tatis Jr. in Game 2 of the NLDS might have been the more eye-popping home run denial, especially because of the events that transpired afterward.

But Betts' own robbery of Freddie Freeman in Game 7 of the NLCS is worth revisiting.

The Braves opened the scoring with a Marcell Ozuna RBI single in the first, followed by a Dansby Swanson solo homer in the top of the second. However, the Dodgers battled back to tie the game on a two-out, two-run single by Will Smith in the bottom of the third.

Atlanta had a response in the next half-inning, as Austin Riley singled off Tony Gonsolin to give the Braves the lead once again.

Freeman threatened to add to it in the top of the fifth. He launched a high fly ball to right field off Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen. The drive chased Betts to the wall and looked destined to leave the yard. A homer would not just have given the Braves a two-run lead, but also would have swung the momentum even more in their favor. 

Mookie would not give an inch. He timed his leap perfectly, reaching the ball at the apex and pulling it back into the yard.

The catch was so remarkable because of how effortless Betts made it look. He lost sight of the ball off the bat initially but sprinted to his spot and measured the wall before he made the jump. The sheer awareness and athleticism was outstanding, yet it appeared so fluid because of how Mookie glided through space.

The Dodgers would erase the one-run deficit in the sixth and seventh innings thanks to solo homers by Enrique Hernandez and Bellinger, respectively.

Run prevention can be an extremely underrated part of the game. Mookie helped to hold Atlanta in check—the Braves would have just one baserunner for the rest of the contest—and bide time for the Dodgers' bats to break through.

3. Will Smith Homers off Will Smith to Turn the Tide of the NLCS

Baseball fans will remember Fox commentators Joe Buck and John Smoltz making endless references to a possible Will Smith vs. Will Smith showdown during the National League Championship Series.

It just so happens the young Dodgers catcher and Atlanta Braves left-hander would indeed square off, with the former providing the biggest hit of the series.

Atlanta won three of the first four games of the NLCS to push the Dodgers to the brink of elimination in Game 5. The Braves took a 2-0 lead early and got a strong performance from opener A.J. Minter, who was shaping up to be the unsung hero. 

Of course, Atlanta's bullpen had to close the deal, and after Tyler Matzek and Shane Greene got eight outs, Smith entered in the top of the sixth with one on, two out and a 2-1 lead.

Max Muncy greeted the Braves lefty and—as he had all series—refused to budge at any offering off the plate. Muncy drew a walk, setting the stage for the Smith vs. Smith matchup. 

The Dodger backstop had struggled in the postseason outside a five-hit performance in Game 3 of the NLDS. He entered this at-bat 2-for-18 in the NLCS and was hardly establishing a clutch reputation after going 1-for-13 in the playoffs the year before.

But with one swing, the younger of the Smiths sent the Dodgers roaring back into the series. The 25-year-old's three-run homer added 38 percentage points to L.A.'s win probability, per Baseball Reference. The home run set the stage for the remainder of the series, with the Dodgers taking Game 5 and later overcoming the 3-1 deficit.

L.A.'s catcher would come up with another crucial hit in Game 7, as would Hernandez and, of course, Bellinger. For his part, Betts' catch in that winner-take-all matchup was every bit as important in terms of momentum. 

Still, Smith's homer in Game 5 breathed new life into the series for the eventual World Series champs, hence the high ranking.

2. Brett Phillips Wins Wild World Series Game 4

Brett Phillips was the furthest person from "hero" candidacy heading into the 2020 World Series, let alone before a pivotal Game 4 featuring multiple lead changes in the later innings.

The Rays acquired Phillips from the Kansas City Royals ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline. He had just three hits in 25 plate appearances with Tampa Bay during the regular season and was 0-for-2 during the playoffs. But the moment found Phillips.

Tampa Bay had fought back valiantly against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4, with Brandon Lowe's dramatic, three-run homer in the sixth inning giving the Rays their first lead of the game.

When the Dodgers regained the lead on a two-run single by Joc Pederson in the top of the seventh, Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier answered with a solo homer in the bottom of the frame. But a Seager RBI single in the eighth put the Dodgers up 7-6, where the game remained with Phillips stepping to the plate in the bottom of the ninth and the Rays staring down a possible 3-1 deficit.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen gave up a single to Kiermaier in between a strikeout and lineout. Jansen had the chance to put the game to bed against Randy Arozarena but lost the count against the breakout postseason star and put him on with a walk, sending the tying run to second base. 

Still, Jansen quickly got ahead of Phillips thanks to a couple of fortuitous strike calls on the inner and outer halves, respectively. But Jansen's final offering caught too much of the middle of the plate, and Phillips sent a soft line drive into right-center field. What ensued was chaos.

Kiermaier came around third to tie the game, but a bobble by Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor led to Arozarena being waved around. Arozarena then stumbled and fell on his way to the plate, but Muncy's cutoff throw was off, Smith spun with a phantom tag and Arozarena scored.

It was one of the wildest endings ever. That Phillips—who had been without an at-bat for 17 days and without a hit for nearly a month—was the hero made things all the more memorable.

1. Kevin Cash Pulls Blake Snell; Dodgers Rally to Win It All

Kevin Cash won the AL Manager of the Year Award, but Game 6 of the World Series was far from his finest hour.

The Tampa Bay Rays needed a strong start from Blake Snell in the face of elimination, and boy, did they get it.

Snell was dominant, giving up just one hit and holding the Dodgers scoreless in his first five innings while striking out nine. It looked like his game to win, especially given he was under 70 pitches heading into the sixth inning with the Rays clinging to a one-run lead.

Then again, Cash has always kept his starters on a short leash. This was the case when he pulled Charlie Morton even though he was dealing in Game 7 of the ALCS, and it was no different with Snell in Game 6 of the World Series. The 2018 AL Cy Young winner got the first out of the sixth but was pulled after giving up a single to Austin Barnes.

One could respect Cash's decision to stick to his guns. Only, he replaced Snell with right-hander Nick Anderson—a curious move to say the least.

Anderson had been having a woeful postseason, giving up seven hits and four runs in 4.1 innings during the ALCS before conceding two runs in his first 2.2 World Series frames. Moreover, Anderson later admitted he was running on empty and had lessened velocity.

The other element is Cash brought Anderson in to face Betts. As if bringing in a fatigued reliever to face one of the best game's hitters wasn't confusing enough, Betts also had reverse splits in 2020. He was better against right-handers. Like, way better, with a 1.061 OPS. That number fell to .531 against lefties.

Well, Rays fans know all too well how this move worked out for Cash. Betts doubled off Anderson, putting runners at second and third. Barnes then scored on an Anderson wild pitch, and Betts dashed home on a fielder's choice shortly thereafter, giving L.A. the lead.

The game was over from there. Tampa Bay did not threaten, and Mookie added a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth off another overworked Rays reliever, Pete Fairbanks.

Postgame chatter was almost as much about Cash and analytics as it was the Dodgers' ending a 32-year championship drought. It changed the dialogue.

There were plenty of October moments to remember, but this one takes the cake.

All stats obtained via Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.