Just before the strange 2020 season began, MLB and the union agreed to an expanded playoff.
As MLB continues to shovel "new" rules and game changes, why not add another bad one to the pile? The season is a mess to begin with.
According to ESPN, the agreement is just for this season.
Playoffs now expand from 10 teams to 16. Fifty-three percent of all teams are now part of the 16-team expanded playoff proposal. Yeah, youth baseball participation awards are here!
But then it gets even worse.
The No. 1, 2, 3 seeds
in each league—the Division winners—would pick their opponents among
the other five teams. This is a hokey, cheesy television reality show STUNT. Does MLB have any institutional PRIDE left?
According to multiple reports, the top-three in each league will go to regular season division winners. According to Sports Illustrated's
Tom Verducci, the second place team in each division will also qualify
for the postseason with the remaining two spots going to the teams with
the next best records.
The real problem with this new format is that THE BEST TEAMS are not rewarded by the new system. The division second place teams are automatically in the post-season even if their record is worse than other teams in their league. In a 60 game schedule, this may have sub-.500 clubs automatically making the post season and a club with an above .500 record sitting out.
But it is not about having the best teams playing for a championship. It is not about having the best product on the field.
"We are excited to announce the expansion
of the 2020 Postseason," commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
"This season will be a spring to a new format that will allow more fans
to experience playoff baseball. We look forward to a memorable
Postseason concluding a year like no other and appreciate the continued
partnership and enthusiasm of ESPN and TBS."
THIS!
The new playoff push was from the national networks who are trying to salvage some revenue by having more post-season games (which benefit MLB owners as well).
