Potential Playoff Expansion

JakeR514 · 08-26-2020, 12:18 PM

If you were the commissioner of the MLB, would you expand the playoffs? If you HAD to expand the playoffs, how would you do it? Thanks this will help with my sim

pgjocki · 08-26-2020, 12:59 PM

Division winners plus the next five best records.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Brad K · 08-26-2020, 01:43 PM

Qualifiers are the fifteen division winners plus one wild card.

BIG17EASY · 08-26-2020, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad K

Qualifiers are the fifteen division winners plus one wild card.

Fifteen? What's your league structure/size?

Brad K · 08-26-2020, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG17EASY

Fifteen? What's your league structure/size?

The OP gave the parameters as current MLB. So that's 15 two team divisions. The big playoffs people will be happy and the "every playoff team should be a winner" people are 15/16 of the way there. A good deal for everyone.

Tribe1450 · 08-26-2020, 05:57 PM

3 Division winners (seeds 1, 2, 3)
4 wild cards....

Wild Card Rounds.... best of 3 with all at higher seed park
#1 bye (not a fan, but only 3 days)
#5 at #4
#6 at #3
#7 at #2

Division Series Rounds... best of 5 with all at higher seed park
#1 hosting 4/5
3/6 vs. 2/7

LCS and World Series regular 2-3-2 format.. higher seed home field

BIG17EASY · 08-26-2020, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad K

The OP gave the parameters as current MLB. So that's 15 two team divisions. The big playoffs people will be happy and the "every playoff team should be a winner" people are 15/16 of the way there. A good deal for everyone.

If this is a joke or sarcasm, sorry, it flew way over my head and I'm happy about that.

mytreds · 08-26-2020, 09:07 PM

I like the European football system. Best record wins the title. Playoffs winners win the cup.

Otherwise, ditch the one game play in. Division winners plus wildcards and that’s it. Season is long enough, we don’t need more playoff teams.

Brad K · 08-27-2020, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG17EASY

If this is a joke or sarcasm, sorry, it flew way over my head and I'm happy about that.

Actually there's a point. People want a big post season. But why should a team that has already proven it is NOT the best (by finishing second or third) be allowed to compete for the championship?

lukestephens2293 · 08-28-2020, 02:11 AM

top 2 in each division plus two wildcards from each league bit like the NBA format 1v8 2v7 3v6 4v5 higher seed has home field advantage

Brad K · 08-28-2020, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lukestephens2293

top 2 in each division plus two wildcards from each league bit like the NBA format 1v8 2v7 3v6 4v5 higher seed has home field advantage

There are multiple plans that put a third of the league or more in the playoffs. This one puts over half. All these more than the division winners in the playoffs plans are a weak compromise. Obviously the goal is to have big playoffs, so proponents of such should quit the partial steps and go all the way: EVERY team qualifies.

Spring training and then start the playoffs. Obviously single elimination will not work. We probably need something like 8 or 10 lost series before elimination. And if teams are still eliminated before Sept 15, have a consolation tournament.

Think of how happy the fans will be when their team has lost 7 of 10 playoff series and is a cumulative 22 - 38 and is still in the hunt for the championship!!! People will be able to deny the reality that their team sucks.

Its perfect for todays society where denial of reality is such a large part of everyday existence: y'know, masks don't prevent COVID 19, there's a human trafficking operation running out of a pizza shop, Jerry Falwell Jr likes to watch his wife screw the pool attendant... oh wait, the last one is true. Whodda thunk it?!?!?!?

Anyway, big playoffs benefit everyone. Its time to stop the half way steps and just do what everyone wants.

Cobbiusto · 08-29-2020, 06:06 AM

I am playing a game expanded to 36 teams with each league having 3 divisions with 6 teams each. I think there should be an award for the team with the best record over a 162 game season. That is the best team in baseball, not the one who goes on a lucky/hot streak over a 10-15 game span in October. That said, I have expanded the playoffs to 7 teams per league. I think for MLB this would reduce the incentive for tanking as more teams will be in contention for longer. The 1st round of the playoffs is a best of 3 series which essentially makes it a tossup. So the #1 team getting a 1st round bye is a huge advantage and will keep all the playoff bound teams playing hard till the end trying to secure that advantage. At least, that's my take.

Brad K · 08-29-2020, 08:23 AM

Bigger playoffs might reduce the incidence of tanking. However it might also cause possible division winners to decide they only need to be good enough to make the last playoff spot.

Brad K · 08-29-2020, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobbiusto

I am playing a game expanded to 36 teams with each league having 3 divisions with 6 teams each. I think there should be an award for the team with the best record over a 162 game season. That is the best team in baseball,

Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on who they played.

lukestephens2293 · 09-01-2020, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobbiusto

I think there should be an award for the team with the best record over a 162 game season. .

Isnt the award home advantage for the world series?

rjl518 · 09-01-2020, 12:00 PM

Top two teams in each division.
#6 plays #5 in one game playoff.
Winner plays #4 in best of three with all three games at #4's home park.
Winner plays #1 and #3 plays #2 in LDS and so on.

Brad K · 09-01-2020, 02:52 PM

I find it humorous that the big playoff proponents come up with systems that handicap the wild cards. Its an effort to do everything possible to prevent them from winning the playoffs, and a tacit admission they don't belong in the post season.

OmahaReynolds · 09-01-2020, 03:14 PM

I think the best team in baseball is unknowable, even before considering playoff structure. Just the unbalanced schedule makes it almost impossible to compare two team. The regional rival interleague series that takes place every year is a good example. The Mets play the Yankees every year. The Nats play the O's every year.

So with that in mind, who cares how big the playoffs get? Looking at it in a vacuum, I think 16-team tournaments are the most exciting for a postseason. The difference between the NBA/NHL and MLB is that the better teams almost always win a best-of-seven series in the other sports. In baseball, it's more of a possibility the worst team delivers an upset.

But if we're being honest, since they added divisions in 1969 the possibility of the best team getting knocked out of the playoffs by a lesser team has always been there.

I realize I didn't really answer the question. So for the OP, I'd say do an NBA or NHL-style postseason. The reason is that I don't like first-round byes.

OmahaReynolds · 09-01-2020, 03:17 PM

What I'd really like to see is a single, 30-team league with one division. Each team plays 3/3 against every other team for a 174-game season. The winner at the end gets the trophy, the fanfare and the parade. With an off-day every week the season would stretch to late October.

Brad K · 09-01-2020, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OmahaReynolds

I think the best team in baseball is unknowable, even before considering playoff structure. Just the unbalanced schedule makes it almost impossible to compare two team. The regional rival interleague series that takes place every year is a good example. The Mets play the Yankees every year. The Nats play the O's every year.

The schedule problem is due to choice, not necessity.

Quote:

But if we're being honest, since they added divisions in 1969 the possibility of the best team getting knocked out of the playoffs by a lesser team has always been there.

Prior to that the possibility of the better team losing the World Series always existed. But the difference there - and with the style of playoffs that started in 1969 - is that every team in the playoffs won something. And they won it playing their direct opponents for the title more often (or exclusively before divisions) and all competing teams had equal competition.

A title, division or league, won on a level playing field is meaningful. Finishing second or third is never meaningful. Neither is finishing first on a tilted playing field.

The baseball schedule and playoffs were obviously designed by someone pissed off that he couldn't cheat in pinball.

08-28-2020, 02:11 AM	#10
lukestephens2293 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 218	top 2 in each division plus two wildcards from each league bit like the NBA format 1v8 2v7 3v6 4v5 higher seed has home field advantage __________________ “The more you play baseball, the less depends on your athletic ability. It’s a mental war more than anything.” – Alex Rodriguez

09-01-2020, 12:00 PM	#16
rjl518 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Born in Shea Stadium, lives in LoanDepot Park. Posts: 6,238	Top two teams in each division. #6 plays #5 in one game playoff. Winner plays #4 in best of three with all three games at #4's home park. Winner plays #1 and #3 plays #2 in LDS and so on. __________________ My Threads: MLB Project 32 by SFGiants58 "Colon looking for his 1st hit of the year and he DRIVES ONE! Deep left field! Back goes Upton! Back near the wall! ITS OUTTA HERE!!! Bartolo has done it!!! THE IMPOSSIBLE HAS HAPPENED!!! This is one of the great moments in the history of baseball! Bartolo Colon has gone deep!" ---Gary Cohen. (May 7, 2016) (Petco Park) NYM 6 @ SD 3

08-26-2020, 12:18 PM	#1
JakeR514 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 38	Potential Playoff Expansion If you were the commissioner of the MLB, would you expand the playoffs? If you HAD to expand the playoffs, how would you do it? Thanks this will help with my sim

08-26-2020, 12:59 PM	#2
pgjocki All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Maryland - just outside DC Posts: 1,675	Division winners plus the next five best records. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk __________________ - - - World Series championships: 1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006, 2011

08-26-2020, 01:43 PM	#3
Brad K Banned Join Date: May 2016 Location: St Petersburg Florida USA Posts: 6,693 Infractions: 0/2 (4)	Qualifiers are the fifteen division winners plus one wild card.

08-26-2020, 05:57 PM	#6
Tribe1450 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Sandusky, Ohio Posts: 152	3 Division winners (seeds 1, 2, 3) 4 wild cards.... Wild Card Rounds.... best of 3 with all at higher seed park #1 bye (not a fan, but only 3 days) #5 at #4 #6 at #3 #7 at #2 Division Series Rounds... best of 5 with all at higher seed park #1 hosting 4/5 3/6 vs. 2/7 LCS and World Series regular 2-3-2 format.. higher seed home field

08-26-2020, 09:07 PM	#8
mytreds All Star Starter Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 1,183	I like the European football system. Best record wins the title. Playoffs winners win the cup. Otherwise, ditch the one game play in. Division winners plus wildcards and that’s it. Season is long enough, we don’t need more playoff teams.

08-29-2020, 06:06 AM	#12
Cobbiusto Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 316	I am playing a game expanded to 36 teams with each league having 3 divisions with 6 teams each. I think there should be an award for the team with the best record over a 162 game season. That is the best team in baseball, not the one who goes on a lucky/hot streak over a 10-15 game span in October. That said, I have expanded the playoffs to 7 teams per league. I think for MLB this would reduce the incentive for tanking as more teams will be in contention for longer. The 1st round of the playoffs is a best of 3 series which essentially makes it a tossup. So the #1 team getting a 1st round bye is a huge advantage and will keep all the playoff bound teams playing hard till the end trying to secure that advantage. At least, that's my take.

08-29-2020, 08:23 AM	#13
Brad K Banned Join Date: May 2016 Location: St Petersburg Florida USA Posts: 6,693 Infractions: 0/2 (4)	Bigger playoffs might reduce the incidence of tanking. However it might also cause possible division winners to decide they only need to be good enough to make the last playoff spot.

09-01-2020, 02:52 PM	#17
Brad K Banned Join Date: May 2016 Location: St Petersburg Florida USA Posts: 6,693 Infractions: 0/2 (4)	I find it humorous that the big playoff proponents come up with systems that handicap the wild cards. Its an effort to do everything possible to prevent them from winning the playoffs, and a tacit admission they don't belong in the post season.

09-01-2020, 03:14 PM	#18
OmahaReynolds All Star Reserve Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New York Posts: 653	I think the best team in baseball is unknowable, even before considering playoff structure. Just the unbalanced schedule makes it almost impossible to compare two team. The regional rival interleague series that takes place every year is a good example. The Mets play the Yankees every year. The Nats play the O's every year. So with that in mind, who cares how big the playoffs get? Looking at it in a vacuum, I think 16-team tournaments are the most exciting for a postseason. The difference between the NBA/NHL and MLB is that the better teams almost always win a best-of-seven series in the other sports. In baseball, it's more of a possibility the worst team delivers an upset. But if we're being honest, since they added divisions in 1969 the possibility of the best team getting knocked out of the playoffs by a lesser team has always been there. I realize I didn't really answer the question. So for the OP, I'd say do an NBA or NHL-style postseason. The reason is that I don't like first-round byes.

09-01-2020, 03:17 PM	#19
OmahaReynolds All Star Reserve Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New York Posts: 653	What I'd really like to see is a single, 30-team league with one division. Each team plays 3/3 against every other team for a 174-game season. The winner at the end gets the trophy, the fanfare and the parade. With an off-day every week the season would stretch to late October.