Q and A - Extra Playoff Games

Mike Friere asks -

The current MLB playoff format is undeniably unfair for the teams that make the "Wild Card" matchup.  Using a one game playoff to eliminate a team after a full season of 162 games to decide the participants seems a bit harsh. Not to mention the winning team has to move on without their top starting pitcher being available for several games into the next series.  Should MLB expand the playoff format to include extra teams and a legitimate first round series of at least three or even five games?

Mack says –

I don’t like when one errant throw, from a first baseman to a catcher, can end an entire season’s effort to get to the World Series.

And two more games for four teams to play isn’t going to lengthen the season to the point that fans start running in the other direction. Trust me… the fans of the teams that didn’t make the playoffs already started that exodus.

As Ernie Banks said on the firs take… ‘let’s play three’.

(I'm starting to sound like Tom...)

Reese Kaplan says –

To do so would likely stretch the post-season into November which is something they would probably seek to avoid.  The alternative would be to reduce the number of in-season games to create room in the calendar to do so.  That approach would unnecessarily penalize the non-qualifying teams from gate receipts for the 3-5 games they would miss.

The very concept of a Wild Card means some teams whose seasons were destined to be over are being given a new, temporary lease on life.  The one-game format is indeed stressful but it's this very challenge that should be met in order to advance to the next level with the Division winners.  Should they operate under something of a pitching handicap?  To me, that's the price you pay for getting in via the non-champion route. 

I say leave it as it is.

Tom Brennan says –

             My thoughts on a good question:

Lengthening the playoffs so that the Wild Card round could even be 3 games would make the playoffs too long, in my opinion, and the other teams would have to sit around and wait.  The only way I would make it a best of 3 is to have the Wild Card teams play a doubleheader on Tuesday and a final game (if needed) on Wednesday.  Wears out their pitching with 3 games in 2 days?  Sorry, you are a Wild Card team.  Deal with it.

Alternative?  Shorten the season by a few games to 160, and make every playoff team (wild card and non-wild card) play an added 3 game round.  Wild Card with worst record plays the team with the best record in Round 1, etc.  Similar to NBA.  Most times, the lousier team falls out of that first round.

Mike Friere says –

           The biggest issue with this question is whether to expand the playoff field, or not.  With the current edition of the MLB Playoffs, you have three division winners per league and an additional pair of "wild card" teams.  Due to the odd number, one team has to sit out in some way, which is awkward and leads to the problems listed in the question.

The easiest way to fix the issue is to return to an even number of playoff teams.  That could be accomplished by adding another team or subtracting another team in each league.  Since subtracting a team would not be popular, I won't dwell on the possibility.  Instead, you could add a third "wild card" team and event things out for each league.   So, your top two division winners would get a "bye" and the remaining four teams would comprise your first round, with the best remaining team playing the worst and so forth.

Once the first two series were decided, the winners would move on to face the best two teams in Divisional Series and the rest of the playoff format would be the same.

To make things more "fair", I would make the first round series at least a "best out of three" which reduces the "fluke" factor a bit compared to the current one game playoff for the wild card teams.  The extra days to decide the first round would also give teams a chance to reset their pitching staffs and put them on a more level playing field with the teams that they would face in the NLDS/ALDS.   This proposed setup also adds another team to the mix which is exciting on many levels and it would not "water down" the importance of making the playoffs like it would if you have more teams in the field every year (like Basketball or Hockey).