MLB 2026 Spring Training

DewieCox

Expanding it to 3 games is dumb too. Already enough incentive to win your division. 3 games series makes the incentive too extreme and would be another week tacked onto the end.

pjhawks

DewieCox said:

Expanding it to 3 games is dumb too. Already enough incentive to win your division. 3 games series makes the incentive too extreme and would be another week tacked onto the end.

i think 3 games is good.  takes more out of a team's pitching if you play 3 games in 3 days heading into the next series. gives the division winner a little bit of a greater advantage.  also there are too many days off in the playoffs.  these guys play 27 out of every 30 days during the season they don't need all the days off the playoffs calls for these days.

HesCalledDyer

WC should be a 3 games series at the better team's stadium.  No travel.  That's your incentive for WC1.  Other than that, don't fuck with the postseason.  14 teams is way too many.  That's half the damn league.

Jearlpam0925

I could see expanding the amount of teams if you shorten part of the season. Otherwise, no. Only modification I would make is the LDS should be 7 games.

Ledbetterman10

HesCalledDyer said:

WC should be a 3 games series at the better team's stadium.  No travel.  That's your incentive for WC1.  Other than that, don't fuck with the postseason.  14 teams is way too many.  That's half the damn league.

I like that idea. I was kind of against the notion of the second wildcard team when it was introduced because, while I know everyone argues you need to win your division, there's so many circumstances in NFL and MLB where the wildcard team is better than the champion of a shitty division. Based on that, and how many games there are in a season, I didn't have a problem with the wildcard being in basically the same position as the three division champions. But now with two wildcards, the wildcard game between them feels way more like a game 163 (like the Bucky Dent game) than it does a real postseason game. So your idea of a three game series, with the WC1 team being at a big advantage with three home games, is up my ally. Also, it puts the team that wins that three game series at a disadvantage when they go against the #1 seed in the next round. More incentive to finish with the best record in the league that way. 

HesCalledDyer

Ledbetterman10 said:

HesCalledDyer said:

WC should be a 3 games series at the better team's stadium.  No travel.  That's your incentive for WC1.  Other than that, don't fuck with the postseason.  14 teams is way too many.  That's half the damn league.

I like that idea. I was kind of against the notion of the second wildcard team when it was introduced because, while I know everyone argues you need to win your division, there's so many circumstances in NFL and MLB where the wildcard team is better than the champion of a shitty division. Based on that, and how many games there are in a season, I didn't have a problem with the wildcard being in basically the same position as the three division champions. But now with two wildcards, the wildcard game between them feels way more like a game 163 (like the Bucky Dent game) than it does a real postseason game. So your idea of a three game series, with the WC1 team being at a big advantage with three home games, is up my ally. Also, it puts the team that wins that three game series at a disadvantage when they go against the #1 seed in the next round. More incentive to finish with the best record in the league that way. 

One need only look at the 2015 NLWC where the 2nd best team in all of MLB was sent packing after one loss in the postseason.  The wild card team that beat them - 3rd best team in all of MLB.  So there you have 2 of the top 3 records in baseball playing ONE winner-take-all wild card game against each other.  Dumb.  Both of those teams had better records than the other 5 division champions in MLB.  Both should have had a direct trip to the NLDS.

DewieCox

That can reward beating up on a shitty division even more than a high seed.

I think the way it is now is the most fair advantage for division winners and doesn’t completely gut the WC’s chances.

MayDay10

A few things

I believe that the MLB playoff field should be expanded.  162 games is a slog, and there are meaningless games beyond count.  Now, we also have a 'tanking problem' because 80% of the league knows they have no shot by April 30th. 
Even non-baseball fans admit that playoff baseball is fun to watch with a lot on the line.  More teams doesnt mean worse.  The first round of the NHL playoffs, 16 teams, is one of the best things going.

The problem is, there just isnt enough room with a 162 game schedule and the World Series kissing November.

Jearlpam0925

MayDay10 said:

A few things

I believe that the MLB playoff field should be expanded.  162 games is a slog, and there are meaningless games beyond count.  Now, we also have a 'tanking problem' because 80% of the league knows they have no shot by April 30th. 
Even non-baseball fans admit that playoff baseball is fun to watch with a lot on the line.  More teams doesnt mean worse.  The first round of the NHL playoffs, 16 teams, is one of the best things going.

The problem is, there just isnt enough room with a 162 game schedule and the World Series kissing November.

That's why I'm supportive if it means cutting back the season by 7-10 games.

Cliffy6745

First thing I thought was, awesome, the Yankees will get to pick the Twins every year!  Also, they'll never miss the playoffs.

Sounds weird. Haven't read too much.  Wild card should definitely be best of 3, at minimum.  Would be a long playoff and not sure my health can handle that.

Jearlpam0925

And a bye isn't a benefit to the #1 seed either. Baseball just doesn't work like that. If they did it's also another reason to lengthen the LDS to 7 games.

JK_Livin

Next thing you know, Manfred is going to tell us pitchers won't have to bat.

HesCalledDyer

Trevor Bauer is awesome.

Cliffy6745

HesCalledDyer said:

Trevor Bauer is awesome.

Counterpoint, He's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc_6dlY5Qnk

Jearlpam0925

HesCalledDyer said:

Trevor Bauer is awesome.

Never thought I'd want to own a Trevor Bauer jersey in my life, but, well, here we are.

Jearlpam0925

Just stick all of this shit directly into my veins:

https://theathletic.com/1600638/2020/02/11/details-emerge-about-carlos-beltrans-role-in-the-2017-astros-clubhouse-and-the-teams-sign-stealing-scheme/

tempo_n_groove

Jearlpam0925 said:

Just stick all of this shit directly into my veins:

https://theathletic.com/1600638/2020/02/11/details-emerge-about-carlos-beltrans-role-in-the-2017-astros-clubhouse-and-the-teams-sign-stealing-scheme/

I was wondering when a story was going to come back around.

Anyone think that they released that expanding playoff crap to get everyone to talk about something else?

tempo_n_groove

Jearlpam0925 said:

Just stick all of this shit directly into my veins:

https://theathletic.com/1600638/2020/02/11/details-emerge-about-carlos-beltrans-role-in-the-2017-astros-clubhouse-and-the-teams-sign-stealing-scheme/

Can you copy and paste the article please!

F Me In The Brain

Cliffy6745 said:

HesCalledDyer said:

Trevor Bauer is awesome.

Counterpoint, He's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc_6dlY5Qnk

Yeah I will root for him on the refs but I cannot stand him

fUCLA doucher.

Jearlpam0925

tempo_n_groove said:

Jearlpam0925 said:

Just stick all of this shit directly into my veins:

https://theathletic.com/1600638/2020/02/11/details-emerge-about-carlos-beltrans-role-in-the-2017-astros-clubhouse-and-the-teams-sign-stealing-scheme/

Can you copy and paste the article please!

Ugh just tried and it wouldn't allow me - too long.

Get a subscription! So worth it.