Not sure there is a way to fix baseball playoffs to keep the playoff feel and provide a true test of baseball skill. I have to say 2017 was incredibly fun. I don't care too much what they do with the playoffs as long as they remain fun. Regular season is a better barometer of a team's skill.
Do you really want the season to last well into November? You either have to drastically cut the number of regular season games or extend the season into winter. Not sure anyone wants to play playoff games in the snow. Then you're looking at barely 2 month off-season. Not exactly good for player longevity.
You could easily afford to cut 6-12 games (or ST time) over the course of the season and adjust the season accordingly without some sort of ridiculous burden on the schedule.
I’m not advocating for .500 teams in the playoffs. I’m saying that 89-92 win teams should get more than a one game playin game. October baseball is fickle, correct. So give the top two teams byes and let the rest be settled on the field
The regular season matters in MLB. Winning your division matters in MLB. Don't monkey with that any more than you already have.
There are some years where it could be a .500 team. There are also other years where a close to 100 win team may not win their division. Winning your division matters. Regular season matters. Believe it or not, baseball players would actually not welcome sitting around for an entire week on a bye... after being accustomed to playing everyday for 6+ months, or pitching every 4th day for 6+ months.
Agreed. They could make it akin to EPL or other soccer leagues where winning the regular season championship is a huge deal in/of itself. Of course, their elimination tournaments (FA cup, etc.) are where they get more notoriety. In the end, the champion of the playoffs = overall champion will be how it is (as it is in all sports)... even though baseball will always have the biggest variability (hence why allowing less... not more... teams in the playoffs would make the regular season that much more meaningful).
I’d like to see one more team added per league to the playoffs. Back to two divisions per league with division winners getting a bye. Four wildcards play best of 3, then onto best 5 divisional series and so on. No need to change regular season and marginally added games to the playoffs while including two more teams.
