MLB Playoff Expansion

[Eye Black]

Looks like MLB is contemplating an expansion from the current 5 playoff teams in each league to a field of 7 teams making the playoffs (with one team in each league receiving a bye). Speculation is that it could be implemented as early as 2022.

 

Details included in this Joel Sherman article: MLB plotting playoff expansion — with reality TV twist

[MillerParkSouth]

I HATE Rob Manfred so, so much. Almost as much as he seems to hate baseball. What an awful idea.

[Warning Track Power]

Absolutely gross. I am so disgusted by MLB leadership under Manfred that I can't even write anything worth reading until I calm down.

[stalton]

I'm not one to make knee jerk reactions but this seems really idiotic. 1 team on a bye and 4 wild card teams? All 3 game series at one location. I'm not a big fan of the 1 game playoff but that's still better than this proposal.

[3and2Fastball]

Wow. Pretty awful.

[pacopete4]

Wild Card banners for everyone!!

[SomewhereInTime]

That is absolutely awful. Far too many bad changes going into effect lately.

[3and2Fastball]

This is when you hope the Player’s Union can be strong in standing up to Manfred’s wacky ideas. It seems like Manfred wants MLB to be more like the NBA.

[Ennder]

Not really sure what to think of this but the 1 game wild card playoff has easily been the best change in baseball in the past 20 years. Those are probably the best playoff games of the entire season unless we are lucky enough to get a game 7 which most series don't end up in. Not giving teams a home game is pretty harsh for the franchise though. Those playoff home games generate a ton of revenue. I kind of like how this makes the best teams have more advantage come playoff time than they do right now making it even more important to push for wins when you are good instead of just coasting. Not sure this is the way I would have gone about it.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

If you want to water the regular season down to the point of the NBA this is how you do it. We should probably like this as a small market, but it's awful.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I will add though, the picking of an opponent sounds kinda cool.

[owbc]

I'm confused, didn't most of this board agree that we hated the current Wild Card format after what happened to us last October?

 

I'm in favor of more playoffs. Postseason baseball is awesome. I'm in favor of baseball innovating.

 

But again, as the reaction to this announcement shows, fans do not trust Manfred and his track record suggests that he is willing to push for changes without any outreach to the players/fans. The fact that we're hearing about this means he has already decided what he wants to do and instead of getting everyone excited about changes (or opening up a debate to what might be the best way of doing it) he's just going to do it. C'mon, just set up a committee or something to at least give the appearance of some thought being put into these changes?

[MadScientist]

Sounds like more of a sensationalized report on a spitball session than an actual proposal.

[adambr2]

As a baseball fan I hate the continual watering down of the playoff field sucks.

 

As a Brewer fan I actually think this is a really good thing for us and should help give small markets more of a shot. This is perfectly suited for the upper middle teams like us that should win around 85 a year or so depending on luck. Should really give us a chance to become a perennial playoff team.

[MrTPlush]

7 playoff teams? Okay.

 

The clown show proposed, no thanks.

[MVP2110]

I love the idea of picking your opponent. That would be super entertaining

[brewcrewdue80]

This could work. Reduce the Regular season though to 156 games. Guarantees extra playoff home games. I'd just hope they play the 3game series in 3days. A day off only to travel for next series if need be. And go as you did in the past from there. Rewards the 1st wildcard much more than previous. Bigger emphasis on winning. The team that wins the most in each league may be getting hosed with the amount of off days before playing its 1st postseason game.

[torts]

Stoked on more teams!

[MNBrew]

Absolutely gross. I am so disgusted by MLB leadership under Manfred that I can't even write anything worth reading until I calm down.

All Manfred does is change things -- without any sense of reason or respect for the traditions of the game in his justifications.

 

Worse, I don't believe a single one of his changes is remotely close to a good idea. Yet he's convinced about all of them, and there's no real way to get him to soften his stance unless the MLBPA digs their heels in -- how ridiculous!

 

Counting mound visits & the possibility of a pitch clock? Three-batter minimum for relievers? WHY? Regarding any issues of game length, those are the sprinkles on top of the cupcake -- nowhere close to the issue! Batters whose pre-pitch rituals are endless? Start there. Commercial breaks that are longer so baseball can earn more money? There's close to 10 minutes right there. Teams calling every pitch from the dugout? . . . Yet here's a clown who would consider limiting shifts. Will he limit the number of breaking pitches a pitcher can throw to a batter? Is there no end to his nonsense or idiocy?

[Oxy]

I love this idea. There would still be a HUGE advantage to being the #1 seed, getting to reset your entire pitching staff before starting the division series at your home stadium the next weekend. There would also be a huge advantage to being the 2-4 seed, getting to both pick your opponent and get a 3 game playoff series at home. 5-7 seeds keep the regular season relevant for a few more teams through September.

 

I'd even take it a step further though, and instead of having a 3 game series for the Wild Card Round, I'd force the road WC teams to win back-to-back games on the road to advance to the division round. If the home team wins either game, then they advance. That keeps the regular season relevant and keeps the timeframe more manageable so that the division series would start on the same date they have in the past.

[bucks2281]

I think they leaked this proposal to give them more cover when they introduce a less extreme change to the postseason

[clancyphile]

Actually, I like the idea of a four-team play-in.

 

7 seed plays at 4 seed, 6 seed at the 5 seed. Then the winners play at the highest seed's stadium. Takes three days.

 

Keep a 162-game season.

 

The division title winners get to reset their pitching staffs.

[wntrtxn21]

I guess Manfred wants baseball to be like hockey where 16 teams make the playoffs. Just another stupid idea from the worst commish in professional sports.

[homer]

Houston Astros cheating news gets worse and worse.

 

MLB: look over here! Look over here! Dumb playoff stuff!

[sveumrules]

Don't see this proposal happening, but I do think they'll expand the postseason field to six teams per league once they add two more teams.