Solution for MLB Playoff Format

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by phightin

Making the DS best of 7 even while keeping the current format wouldn’t expand the World Series that much longer or into Thanksgiving etc. right now game 7 is scheduled to for November 2nd I believe so expanding the DS to seven pushes that back a few days at most.

There's a simple solution: cut some of the off days already present in the postseason schedule. In the age of fast jet travel, are some of the off days really necessary? The ratio of games played to off days is considerably lower in the playoffs compared to the regular season. If each series went to the maximum:

22 games over 34 days = 22 games, 12 off days = 1.83 games per off day (WC participants)
19 games over 34 days = 19 games, 15 off days = 1.27 games per off day (WC bye)
162 games over 186 days = 162 games, 24 off days = 6.75 games per off day (regular season)

Applying the regular season ratio to the playoffs yields a postseason that lasts 26 days (22 / 6.75 = 3.26 off days, round up to 4).

Even if you don't want to time compress the playoffs that much, a best-of-7 DS can be fitted in without lengthening the postseason beyond its current 34 days and with minimal disruption to the present arrangement.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by phightin

Making the DS best of 7 even while keeping the current format wouldn’t expand the World Series that much longer or into Thanksgiving etc. right now game 7 is scheduled to for November 2nd I believe so expanding the DS to seven pushes that back a few days at most.

It wouldn't push anything at all, provided that (1) the day off between the end of the WC and the start of the DS is eliminated, and (2) one of the off days between the end of the LCS and the start of the WS is eliminated. Below is the actual postseason schedule for the 2023-2024 seasons on the left and a possible postseason schedule with a best-of-7 DS round on the right.

         2023
         2024          Proposed
---------------------------------
Mon    -  -  -  -     -  -  -  -
Tue   WC WC WC WC    WC WC WC WC
Wed   WC WC WC WC    WC WC WC WC
Thu   WC WC WC WC    WC WC WC WC
Fri    -  -  -  -    DS DS DS DS
Sat   DS DS DS DS     -  - DS DS
Sun    -  - DS DS    DS DS -   -
Mon   DS DS -   -     -  - DS DS
Tue    -  - DS DS    DS DS DS DS
Wed   DS DS DS DS    DS DS DS DS
Thu   DS DS  -  -    DS DS  -  -
Fri    -  - DS DS     -  - DS DS
Sat   DS DS  -  -    DS DS DS DS
Sun     -    LCS     DS DS  -  -
Mon    LCS   LCS       -    LCS
Tue    LCS    -       LCS   LCS
Wed     -    LCS      LCS    -
Thu    LCS   LCS       -    LCS
Fri    LCS   LCS      LCS   LCS
Sat    LCS    -       LCS   LCS
Sun     -    LCS      LCS    -
Mon    LCS   LCS       -    LCS
Tue    LCS    -       LCS   LCS
Wed     -     -       LCS    -
Thu     -     -        -     -
Fri       WS             WS
Sat       WS             WS
Sun        -              -
Mon       WS             WS
Tue       WS             WS
Wed       WS             WS
Thu        -              -
Fri       WS             WS
Sat       WS             WS

Note how a pair of the DS have three off days instead of two, with the NLDS getting the extra off day in 2023 and the ALDS getting it in 2024. This extra off day is retained in the proposed schedule. The LCS start one day later than is the case presently and the WS dates are unchanged.

[dsvitak]

I am in favor of any system where Yadier Molina doesn't have the most post season hits in National League history, despite hitting .273

Just too many playoff games.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

There's a simple solution: cut some of the off days already present in the postseason schedule. In the age of fast jet travel, are some of the off days really necessary? The ratio of games played to off days is considerably lower in the playoffs compared to the regular season. If each series went to the maximum:

22 games over 34 days = 22 games, 12 off days = 1.83 games per off day (WC participants)
19 games over 34 days = 19 games, 15 off days = 1.27 games per off day (WC bye)
162 games over 186 days = 162 games, 24 off days = 6.75 games per off day (regular season)

Applying the regular season ratio to the playoffs yields a postseason that lasts 26 days (22 / 6.75 = 3.26 off days, round up to 4).

Even if you don't want to time compress the playoffs that much, a best-of-7 DS can be fitted in without lengthening the postseason beyond its current 34 days and with minimal disruption to the present arrangement.

This ^ is the way to go, IMO. Even if it doesn't "fix" the issues with the current format possibly disfavoring the best teams. The main appeal of it to me is that it sticks pretty closely to the regular season schedule of approximately 6 games in 7 days. Basing your roster decisions on 6 in 7 is what gets a team to the playoffs, so why should that then change once you get to the playoffs? IOW, you need a five-man rotation for the regular season. But teams can currently get by with a 3 1/2-man rotation in the playoffs. That doesn't make sense to me.

I could be wrong but I don't think this difference between regular and postseason off days exists in the other main sports. A couple NFL teams get opening-weekend byes, and there's the extra week off before the Super Bowl (which only affects the last two teams standing and therefore creates no inherent advantage), so it ends up being pretty close to the regular season. The NBA & NHL mostly (or fully?) eliminate back-to-backs in the postseason, but otherwise sticks to a three-or-four games per week postseason schedule...

One could very credibly argue that postseason baseball was meant to be played with minimal - if any - off days. Consider that until 1960, any World Series matchup that - geographically - could be played without off days was played without off days.

Regardless, this postseason might just quite the critics since the final four consists of each league's #1 seed (Dodgers, Yanks), a #2 seed (Indians), and only one Cinderella (Mets) alive (but down 3-1, looking unlikely to advance).

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by thehef

This ^ is the way to go, IMO. Even if it doesn't "fix" the issues with the current format possibly disfavoring the best teams. The main appeal of it to me is that it sticks pretty closely to the regular season schedule of approximately 6 games in 7 days. Basing your roster decisions on 6 in 7 is what gets a team to the playoffs, so why should that then change once you get to the playoffs? IOW, you need a five-man rotation for the regular season. But teams can currently get by with a 3 1/2-man rotation in the playoffs. That doesn't make sense to me..

Here's what it could look like. It is slightly longer at 22/28 rather than 22/26 as this retains the traditional two off days in the WS. An off day was inserted into a pair of the DS to get them and the LCS to stagger as MLB prefers this as it makes for more broadcast options.

Mon    -   -   -   -    
Tue   WC  WC  WC  WC
Wed   WC  WC  WC  WC
Thu   WC  WC  WC  WC
Fri   DS  DS  DS  DS
Sat   DS  DS   -   - 
Sun   DS  DS  DS  DS
Mon   DS  DS  DS  DS
Tue   DS  DS  DS  DS
Wed    -   -  DS  DS
Thu     LCS    -   - 
Fri     LCS     LCS  
Sat     LCS     LCS  
Sun     LCS     LCS  
Mon     LCS     LCS  
Tue     LCS     LCS  
Wed     LCS     LCS  
Thu      -      LCS  
Fri      -       -
Sat         WS    
Sun         WS    
Mon          -  
Tue         WS    
Wed         WS    
Thu         WS    
Fri          -
Sat         WS    
Sun         WS

[kq76]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

There's a simple solution: cut some of the off days already present in the postseason schedule. In the age of fast jet travel, are some of the off days really necessary? The ratio of games played to off days is considerably lower in the playoffs compared to the regular season. If each series went to the maximum:

22 games over 34 days = 22 games, 12 off days = 1.83 games per off day (WC participants)
19 games over 34 days = 19 games, 15 off days = 1.27 games per off day (WC bye)
162 games over 186 days = 162 games, 24 off days = 6.75 games per off day (regular season)

Applying the regular season ratio to the playoffs yields a postseason that lasts 26 days (22 / 6.75 = 3.26 off days, round up to 4).

Even if you don't want to time compress the playoffs that much, a best-of-7 DS can be fitted in without lengthening the postseason beyond its current 34 days and with minimal disruption to the present arrangement.

Huh! This is really interesting and something I never considered. So there must be a reason why they do it the way they do it (money I'm sure, but how exactly I don't know). Do you know why or have a theory?

I don't know if this is true, but I have it in my head that they must have said at some point that they can't extend the second round due to the fact that it would extend the postseason too long, but maybe they've never said that?