Solution for MLB Playoff Format

[phightin]

Let me start by saying this is not a gripe necessarily against the current mlb playoff format. IÂ’m somewhat on the fence about it and the Phillies definitely benefited from it the last couple years. However, with another year that is looking like a distinct possibility all or most of the top seeds will be eliminated in the Division series it would seem, if nothing else, reformatting the playoffs to try to slightly benefit the top regular performers would be necessary. A couple important items to note:

1. Going back to the old format, or older formats with 4 teams in each league etc will not be possible. MLB under no realistic circumstances along with their networks and sponsors will ever go for less teams and playoff games right now.

2. So with that being said the current format would have to be reworked to not only reward or at least be more beneficial to the top regular season teams, but also do so in a way that the league and networks do not lose playoff games and tv revenue. Not an easy predicament.

That being said, The following is basically the only logical plan I could see the mlb, owners, and networks agreeing to. There does not seem to be any other path. So here is what I believe the only solution would be.

1. The current format with the number of teams from each league and wild card spots remains the same. 3 division winners plus 3 wildcards with the top two receiving byes into the division series. The bracket could be reseeded if deemed beneficial as well from the wildcard round to the Divisional series but isnÂ’t completely necessary.

2. The Wildcard round with the 4 teams in each league becomes a best of one series, all played on the same day, the second day after the season ends. This would do benefit the top teams by allowing a shorter layoff window. The division series could begin two days after so in essence the layoff from the end of the season to the start of the division series is 3 days instead of 5. Also from a tv revenue standpoint This would still ensure at least 4 playoff games being played, and since it is a best of one would likely result in higher ratings at least for that one game. However From a max of 12 games with maybe an average of 9-10 total for the wild card series mlb would need to makeup that difference of about 4-6 games a simple fix that I will explain next.

3. The Division Series becomes a best of 7 game format. This is something that I think regardless mlb needs to do immediately but with the format above it solves two major issues. First it gives the top teams more grace to advance than a five game series while also making up the additional wild card games that were lost above from a tv revenue standpoint. Going to a 7 game series likely will have teams going to games 5-7 etc. By also adjusting the wildcard round above to one game series the playoffs wouldnÂ’t have to drastically drag on longer in the calendar year with more games.

4. The LCS and World Series remain the same etc.

So there you have it. Like I said I donÂ’t see a perfect a solution and baseball is always a crapshoot but if nothing else the format above should provide roughly the same amount of teams, games, and tv revenue while also slightly benefiting the top seeds.

[kq76]

I totally agree with #3, that the second round should be 7 games instead of the current 5. I heard an even better idea for the first round though.

Without my prompting, after the Orioles were ousted this year the wife asked me, "is it fair that after such a long season it can all be over after only two games?". She's not nearly as much of a fan of the game as I am, she more puts up with my obsession than anything, but still, I was proud. Then I said something like, "yeah, maybe, but the first round doesn't bother me nearly as much as the second round. Most of the teams in the first round don't even really deserve to be in the playoffs so if they get knocked out fast it's no big loss. If you're one of the four that gets a bye into the second round and you get knocked out after only 3 games, that's far worse." And I stand by that, the second round should be best-of-seven.

I heard a great idea for the first round by jomboy today though! He said that since the winner of game 1 in the first round always wins the series then maybe what they should do is make it a best of 1 for the lower seed, but a best of 2 for the higher seed. That is, if the higher seed wins game 1, the series is over. But if the lower seed wins game 1 then it goes to 2 games and whoever wins that game wins the series. I like it! It only cuts out 1 or 2 days, which goes to cutting down the break for the bye teams, but it also brings back the great start to the playoffs that MLB had when it had those best-of-1 games as all the games in the first will then be elimination games as those are always great. I like the idea a lot!

[Hrycaj]

I’m not really convinced anyone cares to change the format. I see a 2 team expansion to but the league at 32 teams with 8 from each league going to the playoffs.

[CONN CHRIS]

My hope is that the main tinkering is simply to bring back game 163. Regardless of how many teams make the payoffs, any tie-breaker that is not on the field after 6 months and 162 games is silly.

[low]

Originally Posted by Hrycaj

...with 8 from each league going to the playoffs.

Gross. Please, no. Then it becomes the NBA and NHL, both of which I can't take seriously.

[mytreds]

You’re rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Hrycaj

I’m not really convinced anyone cares to change the format. I see a 2 team expansion to but the league at 32 teams with 8 from each league going to the playoffs.

Since MLB is just following the NFL, the next step is 14 teams.

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

My hope is that the main tinkering is simply to bring back game 163. Regardless of how many teams make the payoffs, any tie-breaker that is not on the field after 6 months and 162 games is silly.

That's simply not possible with three wild cards per league as there are too many tie scenarios to handle, some of which would require two days to resolve.

Originally Posted by low

Gross. Please, no. Then it becomes the NBA and NHL, both of which I can't take seriously.

The NFL has 14 teams make its postseason. No one seems to complain about that.

[BPS]

I propose keeping the playoff system as it currently is with one BIG change:

For the Division Championship, a 4-game series be played. The divisional winner needs to win only 2 games to advance to the League Championship while the winner of the wildcard series needs to win 3 games to advance to the League Championship.

This heavily rewards winning a division, but still creates a chance that a wildcard team advances.

Yes, fewer games will be played for the Division Championship (fewer games on TV), but perhaps early games in the series will be even more intense and viewers will be more likely to tune in or watch the whole game.

[phightin]

Originally Posted by mytreds

You’re rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

While I somewhat agree I see it more as putting lipstick on a pig. Yes it’s still a pig, but it at least looks a better.

The other caveat is MLB sets the schedule to end the season on a Monday, have the one game wild cards for the 4 teams on a Wednesday and then can have the 4 Division Series Friday and Saturday with Sunday off. This way they aren’t competing really at all with the NFL especially on a Sunday evening. From a tv revenue standpoint it would probably make a ton of sense.

[low]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

Since MLB is just following the NFL, the next step is 14 teams.


That's simply not possible with three wild cards per league as there are too many tie scenarios to handle, some of which would require two days to resolve.


The NFL has 14 teams make its postseason. No one seems to complain about that.

Once it reaches 50%, I will.

[Amazin69]

Not that I want to take up for the ASStros, but if you're telling me that a team can play 162 games to win their division (making up a 10 game deficit against Seattle) and then get bounced in a one-and-done against some rinky-dinky Detroit outfit that finished third in their division and only got in because the Twins decided to play sub-.333 ball down the stretch (12-25), I'm going to object.

I mean, getting swept in two straight was still damn embarrassing, but let's at least allow for the theoretical possibility of a division winner climbing out of a ditch and overcoming some bums with a #6 seed (as Milwaukee came within one pitch of doing), rather than consigning an entire season's work to the ash-heap based on one bad day. JMO.

Or MLB could just expand the playoffs to a 32-team format. Sure, there are currently only 30 teams, but why should that stop Manfred??

(And think of the excrement, er, excitement when the White Sox win it all!! [insert vomit emoji here])

[BaseballMan]

My solution is win your series.

[mytreds]

Originally Posted by phightin

While I somewhat agree I see it more as putting lipstick on a pig. Yes it’s still a pig, but it at least looks a better.

The other caveat is MLB sets the schedule to end the season on a Monday, have the one game wild cards for the 4 teams on a Wednesday and then can have the 4 Division Series Friday and Saturday with Sunday off. This way they aren’t competing really at all with the NFL especially on a Sunday evening. From a tv revenue standpoint it would probably make a ton of sense.

Pig is still going down with the ship.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by mytreds

Pig is still going down with the ship.

Expanding the playoff field doesn't seem to have Hurt the NFL, NBA, or NHL.

People have forgotten, but the NFL (and AFL) used to operate like MLB: only the two division winners made the playoffs, who then contested for the league championship. There were even tiebreaking playoff games in the event of a tie for a division title.

Strange how I never see anyone demanding the NFL return to its roots in this regard.

[GeoWar]

Organize baseball into 8 divisions --
National = 4
American = 4

Winners of Divisions play a best of 5 series
Those winners play a best of 7 League Champ series

Those winners play the Best of 7 World Series.

the season matters

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by GeoWar

Organize baseball into 8 divisions --
National = 4
American = 4

Winners of Divisions play a best of 5 series
Those winners play a best of 7 League Champ series

Those winners play the Best of 7 World Series.

the season matters

Hard pass on 4-team divisions. Four 8-team divisions (with expansion to 32 teams), with either only the division winners, or the top two in each division, or the top three in each division, making the postseason, depending on how many teams one wants in the playoffs.

[mytreds]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

Expanding the playoff field doesn't seem to have Hurt the NFL, NBA, or NHL.

People have forgotten, but the NFL (and AFL) used to operate like MLB: only the two division winners made the playoffs, who then contested for the league championship. There were even tiebreaking playoff games in the event of a tie for a division title.

Strange how I never see anyone demanding the NFL return to its roots in this regard.

2023 World Series was least watched

2024 NBA playoffs viewership down 12%

NBA, NFL, NHL don’t play 162 games. I really don’t understand people who decry people like the Oakland As owner for “being greedy”, yet continue to support expanded formats because “well leagues want to make money”

Guess I’ll say again- don’t ask questions, just consume product.

Oink oink oink

[Amazin69]

John Smoltz, who never met a bad idea he didn't like, suggests the way to help division winners avoid suffering from layoff-itis would be to change the Division Series to best-of-7. That's a completely brilliant idea…if you want the World Series to compete with the NFL on Thanksgiving Day.

However…I see no reason they couldn't expand the DS to Best-4-of-7 if they get rid of the Numbfred Round and the two ridiculous wild cards. You have roughly the same amount of games (sacrificing ONE game, at most) for TV, and you eliminate the possibility of a crap team like the Tigers or the Mets screwing around for 36.4% of the schedule (Mets, 24-35) before getting hot and possibly winning something they don't deserve.

I don't mind if a team overcomes a slow start (like the 1951 Giants, 1978 Yankees, 1969 or 1973 Mets and others on that list of mine) to overtake the front-runner and actually win something, but I've never liked rewarding mediocrity. If ditching teams that finished 3rd out of 5 in their division (FFS!) helps equalize the playoffs without sacrificing any of that precious, precious TV lucre, I say do it.

[phightin]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

John Smoltz, who never met a bad idea he didn't like, suggests the way to help division winners avoid suffering from layoff-itis would be to change the Division Series to best-of-7. That's a completely brilliant idea…if you want the World Series to compete with the NFL on Thanksgiving Day.

However…I see no reason they couldn't expand the DS to Best-4-of-7 if they get rid of the Numbfred Round and the two ridiculous wild cards. You have roughly the same amount of games (sacrificing ONE game, at most) for TV, and you eliminate the possibility of a crap team like the Tigers or the Mets screwing around for 36.4% of the schedule (Mets, 24-35) before getting hot and possibly winning something they don't deserve.

I don't mind if a team overcomes a slow start (like the 1951 Giants, 1978 Yankees, 1969 or 1973 Mets and others on that list of mine) to overtake the front-runner and actually win something, but I've never liked rewarding mediocrity. If ditching teams that finished 3rd out of 5 in their division (FFS!) helps equalize the playoffs without sacrificing any of that precious, precious TV lucre, I say do it.

I just don’t see at any point that they will step away from the 12 team format to go back, and While always the possibility now of wild cards out performing Division winners now IMO it wasn’t good for the modern game to only have an 8 team playoff. Yes I understand in a perfect world we can all be poetic about the regular season mattering most, and the good old days but the reality is with only 8 teams in the playoff mix, in this instant gratification digital age and generation, wasn’t good for league or game with people losing interest throughout the season.They had to adapt with these new rules and format.

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. If you’re really worried about the length of the playoffs though like I said you could keep the same format but switch the wild card back to best of one while making the DS best of 7 which would effectively be about the same number of playoff games, tv revenue, and overall length to end in early November.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by mytreds

2023 World Series was least watched

2024 NBA playoffs viewership down 12%

How's the revenue? Up or down? Any other ratings down, e.g. broadcast network programming?

Originally Posted by mytreds

NBA, NFL, NHL don’t play 162 games.

So? MLB hasn't always played 162 games. The NFL has gone from 12 to 14 to 16 to 17 games. What number of games is enough to prevent criticism?

Originally Posted by mytreds

I really don’t understand people who decry people like the Oakland As owner for “being greedy”, yet continue to support expanded formats because “well leagues want to make money”

Guess I’ll say again- don’t ask questions, just consume product.

Oink oink oink

MLB raises playoff qualifiers from 10 to 12: "Money-grubbing dirtbags!"
NFL raises playoff qualifiers from 12 to 14: * crickets chirping *
NFL raises regular season from 16 to 17 games: * crickets chirping *

Perhaps someday those who complain about money-grubbing by sports leagues will be consistent in such complaints and stop giving one league a pass in such actions while criticizing another league for it.

(A forlorn hope most likely.)