MLB should absolutely keep the expanded playoff format – By Brandon Younan, contributor
The expanded playoffs are the obvious answer to all of baseball’s problems.
One of the debates in baseball over the years has been the number of games in a season. Many believe that a 162-game season has too many games that don’t matter, and this solves that problem. By increasing the number of playoff teams from 10 to 16, we are going to see over half of the teams in the league make the playoffs. This means we are going to see much more competitive play between teams, and who doesn’t want that?
Take the 2020 season as an example. So far, the most competitive division in baseball is the American League central. We are going to see three teams from that division make the postseason this year, not to mention the close race for the division title. There’s even a chance we see these teams match up in the first round of the postseason this year. That only happens with an expanded playoff format.
An expanded playoff format adds an extra round to the playoffs. This is a win-win scenario for owners, adding more TV time for their teams which makes the owners more money throughout the playoffs.
The most important part is that it brings purpose to a lengthy 162 game season by increasing the overall quality of baseball that fans would be able to see. This may also even help baseball boost ratings because there is a better brand of baseball being played, not to mention all the fans that would pay more attention to the sport if their team has a chance at making the playoffs.
At the end of the day, the expanded playoff format would move baseball in the right direction. It even gives fans a reason to support their team for 162 games because there’s a higher chance of making the playoffs. It doesn’t hurt that it gives the players extra motivation for making that push for the playoffs. We are going to witness one of the most exciting playoffs in recent history. This year, an eight seed can make the World Series. Let’s add some parity to the league and keep it going next year.
MLB should ditch it – By Matthew Lucas, contributor
Every season, avid baseball fans like myself watch intently as our favorite teams make their way through a 162-game season hoping that in the end, they will be crowned World Series Champions.
Even when your team isn’t great, it’s still nice to watch your team in the postseason knowing they have a chance, even if it’s a small one. Despite this joy, a team that loses half its games should only be rewarded with a higher draft pick, not a playoff spot.
For this season, MLB changed the number of postseason teams from 10 to 16. While we don’t have the results of this season, if you go back through the last five seasons and compare the old playoff format with the present one, the results are less than desirable.
Using the old 10-team format, out of all 50 teams to make the playoffs, only two teams that were less than 10 games over .500 made the playoffs.
In comparison, using the current 16-team format, out of 80 playoff teams, 18 of them were less than 10 games over .500, and even worse, nine teams with losing records would be playing in the postseason. That’s 27 of 80 postseason teams who were either under .500 or not very far over it.
Understandably, more playoff games and more teams in the playoffs will not only get more fan bases involved, but it will also be great for revenue for each team and for MLB as a whole. For a league that has seemed to lose fans nearly every year, you’d think the easy answer would be to add teams in the postseason, but a gimmick that would only keep these fan bases involved for a few extra games won’t solve anything.
Despite this, there is a glaring problem with this new format. Could you imagine a team that loses more than 50 percent of their games making the postseason, beating your team, or dare I say, winning the World Series?
Playoff spots are earned, not given. A team who loses the majority of its games should be rewarded with a longer offseason, a high draft pick and a “better luck next year.”
