MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he sees America's pastime getting back to something that resembles "normal" in the next few months.

"I hope by midsummer that we have ballparks that are unrestricted and we have full fan access," Manfred said.

Opening Day arrives Thursday, and a limited number of fans will be allowed at stadiums across the Majors, with the majority of clubs admitting somewhere from 12-to-30 percent capacity for home games at the start of the season.

"I am pleased that we have gotten here,” Manfred said. “I think the players and the club people did a tremendous job during Spring Training, a continuation of what they did last year. And I'm just hopeful we're going to be able to play a season that looks like normal."

Manfred also said he thinks most MLB players will be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the middle of May, further bolstering his hopes that stadiums across the country will soon be full as people emerge from a long period of dormancy necessitated by the pandemic. Clubs were informed on Monday that MLB and the MLBPA have agreed to relax certain health and safety protocols contained in the 2021 Operations Manual for fully vaccinated Tier 1 individuals (players and field staff) and for clubs where 85% of their Tier 1 individuals are fully vaccinated. As part of that memo, players and staff were again strongly encouraged to receive one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines when eligible.

"I see this season as a huge opportunity for baseball," Manfred said. "We're an outdoor sport. I think it's safe or safer to go to outdoor activities. Everybody seems to agree on that. And I think that there's pent-up demand for entertainment products, and we're going to do everything we possibly can to take the best opportunity to take advantage of that."

Following a 60-game 2020 season in which fans were not permitted in ballparks except for the National League Championship Series and World Series at Globe Life Field, full stadiums by midsummer would be a significant sign that everyday life is getting closer to what it was like before the pandemic.