Thanks Once Again, MLB

Curious as to what you would prefer?

Less wild cards and longer series?

I also am curious if the current format is so bad, what do those who don't like it prefer?

I would prefer four teams in each league make it. If three of those are to be divisional winners, then the schedule should lean into more emphasis on division play rather than where it is at now. If the divisional schedules remain as they are, then the best four records in each league should make it.

Series should all be best of seven games

Man I'm just glad the awful 1-game Wild Card is gone.

I actually think I preferred it. The capriciousness of a one game playoff isn't much different than a 3 game playoff. And doesnt give too long a layoff for the top two teams that drew byes.
Joe Posnanski had a good article concerning this a couple days ago.

The real problem is THREE Wild Cards, and I'm a Braves fan, and a Red Sox fan who had a chance most of the summer.
Once, people remembered the great teams in baseball history. Now, we have players who play for a different team every other year, and World Series participants who regularly won 84-87 games in the regular season.

Curious as to what you would prefer?

Less wild cards and longer series?

I also am curious if the current format is so bad, what do those who don't like it prefer?

I would prefer four teams in each league make it. If three of those are to be divisional winners, then the schedule should lean into more emphasis on division play rather than where it is at now. If the divisional schedules remain as they are, then the best four records in each league should make it.

Series should all be best of seven games

I agree with that idea of 4 teams, Ray. Drop the last two Wild Cards, and REALLY earn a trip to the postseason.
It WAS exciting baseball, but, if you raise the stakes, a 3 game series between the Dodgers and the White Sox could be compelling as well. And the White Sox "could" win.
Make the regular season MEAN more, or cut it down.

I don’t think it’s bad. What a great series we got from the Mets and the brewers. 12 teams is still less than all the other 4 major sports.

"Sucks less than..." isn't a shining endorsement.

I don’t think any of the playoffs in any of the sports suck. I feel bad that you feel that way some great baseball is being played and you can’t enjoy it because of too many teams.

I love it. But old guys are always going to whine about how unfair everything is and how it was so much better when women couldn't vote and certain folk weren't allowed on golf courses.

But seriously, how is it fair that garbage teams like Cleveland, Houston and Milwaukee play half their games against garbage division rivals? By the way, I am a Cleveland fan.

It's not fair. And I want pitchers to hit, because I would much rather see a high school caliber hitter over a professional DH any day. In fact I think the NFL should make the punter play QB once every nine plays because it would " add strategy ". lol

I agree 100% with Matt!

The playoffs have always been a crapshoot. If you're worried about "undeserving" teams advancing, best of 7 is only marginally more likely to produce a "deserving" winner than best of 3. eveldrive is correct that the way to think about the playoffs is as a tournament that's basically separate from the regular season. Forget about the idea that the champion is the most "deserving" team, or ever was under earlier formats. The champion is the winner of the tournament, nothing more or less.

The point of sports, for me, is to enjoy watching the games, and when your team is out of contention the games are less enjoyable. The new format creates more meaningful games for more teams, incentivizes investment and disincentivizes tanking, and is therefore good for the sport. (The 1-game wild card was dumb because it wasn't enough of a chance to change those incentives.) You could say that it rewards mediocrity by creating a simulacrum of a pennant chase in which only the very worst teams are out of contention, and you wouldn't be wrong. But it's still good for the sport to have more teams and fans invested later into the regular season.

The playoffs have always been a crapshoot. If you're worried about "undeserving" teams advancing, best of 7 is only marginally more likely to produce a "deserving" winner than best of 3. eveldrive is correct that the way to think about the playoffs is as a tournament that's basically separate from the regular season. Forget about the idea that the champion is the most "deserving" team, or ever was under earlier formats. The champion is the winner of the tournament, nothing more or less.

The point of sports, for me, is to enjoy watching the games, and when your team is out of contention the games are less enjoyable. The new format creates more meaningful games for more teams, incentivizes investment and disincentivizes tanking, and is therefore good for the sport. (The 1-game wild card was dumb because it wasn't enough of a chance to change those incentives.) You could say that it rewards mediocrity by creating a simulacrum of a pennant chase in which only the very worst teams are out of contention, and you wouldn't be wrong. But it's still good for the sport to have more teams and fans invested later into the regular season.

Max captured most of my thoughts on this topic quite well.

I love the extra teams in the postseason and the 3-game wild card series all at the one ballpark. Saw some great baseball over the last three days. How about Pete Alonso's home run?!!!

The more baseball, the better, in my view and as a Rays fan the extra wild card provides more hope every year, so I'm all for it!

I thought the purpose of the playoffs was to make more money for the owners? Excited this year because my Padres are in! Sad that Tommy John will be starting for us though.