New MLB Playoff Format

Major League Baseball recently announced a change in their postseason format, adding two additional wild card teams.

Before I discuss this new change, I think a short history lesson is in order.

When professional baseball began in the 1800s, there was no postseason. The team that was in first place at the end of the season was declared to have won the pennant. Starting in 1903, the first place teams in the American League and National League played in the World Series.

In 1969, the leagues expanded to 12 teams each, and split into East and West divisions. Therefore, the number of playoff teams doubled to four.

Since 1995, each league has been divided into three divisions. The three division winners and one wild card team (the team with the best record amongst all teams that didn't win their division) would advance to the playoffs. The total number of teams to make the playoffs each year was eight.

Baseball, more so than any other professional sport, is rooted in its traditions. At each point of expansion outlined above, millions of purists wrung their hands over how the sport was heading towards ruin and that baseball's regular season was being severely devalued. (On a side note, if you want to have an interesting conversation, ask a baseball fanatic for his opinion of the designated hitter).

One of the major complaints of the system that has been in place in recent years is with the wild card. Teams that did not finish in first place during the season were given a second chance at a championship; a chance on almost equal footing with the other teams. Once the playoffs began, there was very little difference between a division champion and a wild card.

The change that will begin in 2012 will have the top two wild card teams in each league reach the playoffs. These two teams will play a one game, do-or-die playoff, with the winner to move on to play a best-of-five series against the top team in the league. This will make winning a championship significantly more difficult for the wild card teams. The nature of a one-game playoff will require the teams to use their best starting pitcher, and then be at a disadvantage against a well-rested team in the next round.

So what do I think of this change? Let me start by outlining what I think would be the best playoff format for Major League Baseball. Currently, there are 30 teams. I would expand and add two more teams to make 32 (or, less appealingly, contract two down to 28). Each league would have two divisions of eight (or seven) teams each. Only the first place finishers would make the playoffs. In each league, the division winners would play a best-of-seven series to advance to the World Series. Basically, I am advocating for a system substantially the same as was used from 1969 to 1993. However, this would involve reducing the number of playoff teams from eight to four. For a variety of reasons (mainly financial), there is zero percent chance of this ever happening.

Having said all that, I LOVE the new change that is being made this year. If we are going to have a three division per league set-up, I feel that it is important to put a premium on winning the division. The reason why baseball's schedule is so long (162 games), is that the difference in quality between teams can often be quite subtle and take a long time to manifest itself. Teams that are of good but not great quality should have to face a significant disadvantage. Also, one game playoffs are inherently exciting. Each season, the postseason will kick off with two games of maximum consequence for the fans to enjoy. And if teams complain that a one-game playoff is unfair, then win your division and you won't have to worry about it.

Even though MLB has made some questionable decisions in recent years (not the least of which is giving home field advantage in the World Series to the league that wins the All Star Game), I think that they made the perfect change here. They simultaneously increased the number of teams that can claim to be playoff participants (making the networks happy), but also improve the chance of the better teams winning. Well done, Baseball.