Major League Baseball may restructure its playoffs to add teams and primetime drama. The changes would pit purists against progressives
The NBA is toying with an in-season tournament, while the NFL devises deals with its players to add a 17th regular-season game. It’s all in the name of increasing revenue streams, and if new rumors are to be believed, you can put Major League Baseball right on that bandwagon: a fattened playoff format could be in the works for the 2022 season.
The timing of such rumors is uncanny. With the new season on the horizon, there’s suddenly a distraction from the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. And while a change in playoff format doesn’t quite have the sizzle of one of the most profound transgressions in the history of the sport, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred must be delighted that at least some of that negative attention has shifted towards the never-ending battle between baseball purists and progressives. On Monday the news that the playoffs may expand was enough to light up Twitter, with players such as the normally, ahem, shy and retiring Trevor Bauer speaking out. “Your proposal is absurd for too many reasons to type on twitter and proves you have absolutely no clue about baseball. You’re a joke,” he wrote in a tweet directed at Manfred.
No idea who made this new playoff format proposal, but Rob is responsible for releasing it, so I’ll direct this to you, Rob Manfred. Your proposal is absurd for too many reasons to type on twitter and proves you have absolutely no clue about baseball. You’re a joke.
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three divisional champions and four wildcard teams in each league would make the playoffs
the division winner with the best overall record in each league would receive a bye to the best-of-five games divisional series
the wildcard round would change from a one-game knockout to a best-of-three-games series
the division winner with the second-best record in the league would get first choice of which wildcard team to face, and that team would host all three games
the division winner with the third-best record in the league would get the second choice of which team to face and also host all three games
the two wildcard teams that were not chosen would face each other, with the wildcard team with the best record hosting two of the three games
there would be a Sunday night playoff selection television show on the last night of baseball’s regular season where division winners would pick the teams they want to face
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