As the lockout continues, the core economic issues are still at the forefront of discussions as the two sides remain far apart on those matters. However, another important discussion that will have to be had, is the idea of expanding the postseason. Among the four major North American sports, MLB currently has the fewest number of teams making the playoffs with 10. This consists of the three division winners and two wildcard teams for both leagues. We saw a sample of what expanded playoffs could look like in 2020 when the postseason was increased to 16 teams due to the COVID-shortened season. If expanded playoffs becomes a reality, 16 would be too many, but I think 14 teams could be an ideal scenario.
MLB has proposed a scenario of what a 14-team postseason could look like, but the MLBPA countered with 12. This is arguably the Players Association’s biggest bargaining chip as the owners clearly want expanded playoffs. While the PA will use this to negotiate, they aren’t really in favour of expanding the playoffs at all. The reason being is because they believe this will cause teams to spend less, as they won’t have to try as hard to get in. I disagree, as I believe that with more opportunities to make the playoffs, teams will try harder as they see a larger competitive window.
In a perfect world, MLB would expand to 32 teams, the divisions would be abolished or at least realigned, and 14 teams make the playoffs. However, we are years away from any expansion teams and realignment, so we just have to make do with what we have.
If MLB expands the playoffs to 14 teams, it must be done in a way that doesn’t devalue the regular season, and most importantly, they must make sure that the division winners have an advantage in the postseason. It wouldn’t be fair if the teams with the best record in each league have no distinct advantage over the seventh ranked teams. The same is to be said for the two other division winners. Winning the division should remain important, and the teams that manage to win their divisions need to benefit in the playoffs for doing so.
The format that has been proposed by MLB for each league is as follows: the team with the best record in gets a bye in the first round, while the other division winners and the fourth ranked team host the three game wildcard series against the fifth, sixth, and seventh ranked teams. However, there is a twist that has also been suggested, which is that the two division winners would get to choose who they want to play in the wildcard round. The idea is to add a little more excitement and spectacle by creating a show where the team’s GM would come out and announce who they want to play. Let’s look at last season for example. In the American League, the Rays finished with the best record, so they would get the bye. Then, the Astros would choose their first-round opponent amongst the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Mariners. The White Sox would then choose their opponent from the remaining two teams, and then the Red Sox would play the final team.
While this format definitely works, and it could be fun to see the teams select their opponents, I still don’t know if this is enough of an advantage for the two division winners that don’t get the bye. I have created a different format that I feel would benefit the division winners, and make it more challenging for the lower ranked teams to advance through the playoffs.
My idea is as follows:
- The three division winners get byes into the divisional series.
- The fourth ranked team hosts the seventh ranked team, and the fifth ranked team hosts the sixth ranked team, both in a one-game wildcard.
- The winners move on to face each other in another one game wildcard – where the higher seeded team hosts it.
- The winner moves on to the divisional series to play the top ranked division team.
- The rest of the playoffs continue as normal.
Again, let’s use last season as an example. The Red Sox (4th) would host the Mariners (7th) and the Yankees (5th) would host the Blue Jays (6th) in the first wildcard round. Then, the winners of those two games would play each other in another wildcard game. Say the Red Sox beat the Mariners and the Blue Jays beat the Yankees, then the Jays would go to Boston to play the Sox in another wildcard game, and then the winner of that goes to Tampa to play the Rays in the divisional round.
Wherein my proposal we don’t get those best-of-three series, we do get additional winner-take-all wildcard games which can be very exciting. This also gives incentive to win your division in order to avoid playing two additional games before even getting to the division series. MLB playoffs can be a bit of a crapshoot at times, and the fear a lot of people have is that a “mediocre” team is going to win the World Series. By adding these two additional wildcard games, it makes for a tougher path for the lower ranked teams to advance all the way. And if they do manage to run the entire gauntlet, I think they’ve earned it.
However, a persisting flaw in my proposal is that if one of the wildcard teams has a better record than one of, or both, of the two division winners, this would make it harder for a theoretically better team to advance in the playoffs even though they could be the second-best team in the league. Similarly to how the Dodgers had to play the Cardinals in the wildcard game last season, despite having the second best record in the sport. Unfortunately, there is no fool-proof way to fix this without getting rid of the divisions, or by just seeding the playoffs in terms of record.
At the end of the day, it is very likely that expanded playoffs are coming in some capacity. While a lot of fans appear to not be in favour of it, I think it will be better for the game. Fans fear that it will make teams spend less, as owners will believe that it won’t take much to land a playoff spot, and the playoffs will be filled with mediocre teams as a result. I argue the opposite. I believe that it could lead to teams spending more, as they will see greater opportunities to make the playoffs and make a bigger push for it. May I also remind you that the 88-win Braves won the World Series last year while the 91-win Jays and 90-win Mariners didn’t make the playoffs at all. So, while expanding the playoffs may allow some mid 80-win teams to make the postseason, it will also allow for some of the other top talented teams to make it in as well.
Fans also argue that expanded playoffs will render most of the seasons meaningless. Some believe that a lot of the top market teams will have clinched a playoff spot by August and won’t have anything to play for down the stretch. If done correctly, that won’t be the case. You can still have tight division races and teams battling to the end for either a wildcard berth or higher seeding positions. In my proposal, the top two teams in a division could be battling for a bye straight to the divisional series or having to play two additional wildcard games.
There are positives and negatives that would come from expanding the playoffs, but overall, I believe there are more positives. Of course, the owners will make more money from more playoff games, but there are strong benefits for the fans and players as well. More fanbases will stay engaged through late August and September as more teams will be battling for postseason positioning. Along with more compelling regular season games, there will also be more playoff games, and what is more exciting than that? Whether it’s a three-game wildcard round, or additional wildcard games, more postseason games equal more entertaining TV. Lastly, the players benefit because more teams will have the opportunity to make the playoffs, and once you’re in, anything can happen. More players will not only get the chance to compete under the brightest of lights in the postseason, but to win a ring, which is the ultimate goal.