Blue Jays vs Yankees - September 24

[Deadpool]

I don't like the expanded playoffs. HOWEVER, this team, over a full 162 games, may very well have made the playoffs even under the old, better, system. At the very least, they would have been in the race in September still, and baseball is ridiculously impossible to predict game to game, so we can't really know.

 

I'm glad they made it, and I'm glad they made it in with a > .500 record, it's going to be the sub .500 teams making it in every year that will piss me off. "We won nearly half our games! Playoffs baby!" is not something I would consider a victory.

[Boxcar]

I don't like the expanded playoffs. HOWEVER, this team, over a full 162 games, may very well have made the playoffs even under the old, better, system. At the very least, they would have been in the race in September still, and baseball is ridiculously impossible to predict game to game, so we can't really know.

 

I'm glad they made it, and I'm glad they made it in with a > .500 record, it's going to be the sub .500 teams making it in every year that will piss me off. "We won nearly half our games! Playoffs baby!" is not something I would consider a victory.

 

Idk, over the grind of a full year, I can't really see a team where one starter threw a pitch in the 7th inning, one time making the playoffs.

[glory]

If they do what Manfred apparently suggested months ago (7 teams in each league, 1st seed gets a bye, seeds 2-7 play wild card rounds, division winners get top 3 seeds), then this is how the 2019 standings would have been:

 

1. Astros (auto bye into ALDS)

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2. Yankees: 103-59

3. Twins: 101-61

4. A's: 97-65

5. Rays: 96-66

6. Indians: 93-69

7. Red Sox: 84-78

 

1. Dodgers: 106-56 (auto bye in NLDS)

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2. Braves: 97-65

3. Cardinals: 91-71

4. Nationals: 93-69

5. Brewers: 89-73

6. Mets: 86-76

7. Diamondbacks: 85-77

 

So, the worst teams would have won 84 and 85 games in each league. If you do that same format in 2018, the Mariners get the last seed in the AL with 89 wins, and the Pirates get the last seed in the NL with 82 wins (there was a few teams with 82 wins so probably some type of tiebreaker would have been needed).

 

So yes, probably looking at 82-85 wins being a playoff team most years, but if they use this model, then getting the 1st seed would mean a bye into the DS (avoid the randomness of a WC round), and they can do the choose your opponent gimmick for the first two seeds in the WC round to give the other division winners an incentive to finish first. Not perfect, but probably doable.

 

I would agree the 16 team format in 162 games would be overkill, unless they add two expansion teams to make it 32 teams total, and then maybe it would be more acceptable, but I'm fine with expanded playoffs in general. Just have to fine tune it for next season and beyond.

[Spanky99]

I don't think a series break makes sense, way too much time not playing.

[Deadpool]

Idk, over the grind of a full year, I can't really see a team where one starter threw a pitch in the 7th inning, one time making the playoffs.

 

Well, hopefully Chuckles won't be the one making that decision next year... Of all the reasons I dislike him as a manager, his quick hook is the one that bugs me the most.