MLB's Positive Test Percentage Was Definitely Misleading

Baseball fans were treated to encouraging news on Saturday when the results from the latest round of coronavirus tests produced a staggeringly low percentage. Of the 3,185 samples, there were only 38 positive tests, which gave MLB a 1.2% positivity rate. On top of that, 11 teams reported zero positive cases.

However, it pains us to report that positive test percentage was a bit skewed. Per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post, the cases were solely based on Wednesday's examinations. Over 40 player positives were not accounted for because those results were in by last weekend.

Some more context on yesterday's testing numbers, from a few people in the know: The 31 positive player cases are solely based on Wednesday in-take tests (though not all results are in). There were 40+ current player positives NOT counted b/c they got results last week/weekend.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) July 4, 2020

This means that the total number of players that have contracted COVID-19 is somewhere in the 70-80 range. That's not the worst thing in the world. It just confirms that MLB didn't boast as low of a percentage as originally perceived and should have been a lot more transparent with the verbiage of its report.

The league's mandated safeguards require players to be tested every other day, with daily antibody testing included, so the percentage could inflate yet again.

That puts the total number of current player positives in the 70-80 range, based on those uncounted results + numbers released yesterday. There was a mix of characterizations here, from skeptical to encouraged. Generally just important to know the data was incomplete.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) July 4, 2020

There's still a reason to feel optimistic about the results, but baseball fans should be aware that the percentages from these tests won't always tell the full story.