start times do matter for TV.

my understanding is that playoffs are still NL v AL

So your playing games in a different division against both leagues but then we just take what top 10 AL and NL records...

Seems like realigning like that makes you have to completely rework the whole system. It's not like the league wasn't already 3 divisions in two different leagues. Seems stupid, but if it gets games back faster so be it

3 division winners and 4 wildcards for each league.

BMX Bandit said:

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3 division winners and 4 wildcards for each league.

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How would that playoff format work?

iBrad said:

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BMX Bandit said:

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3 division winners and 4 wildcards for each league.

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How would that playoff format work?

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I assume the four wildcard teams would play against each other in play in games And the overall number one seed for each league would get a first round bye

tjholley16 said:

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iBrad said:

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BMX Bandit said:

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3 division winners and 4 wildcards for each league.

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How would that playoff format work?

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I assume the four wildcard teams would play against each other in play in games And the overall number one seed for each league would get a first round bye

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It would have to be one-game play in games (and then, what's the point??). Past one game and getting your rotation set up, baseball is a sport where a full bye would be very harmful to the top seed.

I hear they're also going to have the sacko trophy as well. A tournament where the bottom 8 teams play and the ultimate loser is subject to 24 hour ball taps.

1 seed gets a bye

other 2 division winners and 1 wild card in best-of-three series with other 3 wild cards

wonder if the 4-man rotation will make a comeback for an 82-game season

Probably not if they're trying to cram in games like they seem to be wanting to do. In fact, with expanded rosters and the potential for more double headers, I think a 6-7 man rotation seems more likely. Either that or a larger reliance on the opener and long reliever setup.

More likely you'll see more bullpen days

Thinking about 82 games...if you only play within your 2020 makeshift division, I guess you'd play 6 against each opposite league team (30 total), and 13 against your usual division opponents (52). That would make the AL-NL distinction more meaningful.

Giving zero effs about AL/NL separation for the playoffs would make it easy to play 81 games...9 games each against your makeshift division opponents (5-4 series splits to reduce travel).

But those division winners could be from either league. Meaning you'd have uneven amount on one side. Say AL wins all three divisions then they get 4 wildcards. You now have 7 AL teams and 4 NL teams?

Sometimes, when you're trying to fix something, you actually make it worse. Please, please don't this to baseball.

I'd almost rather not have any baseball at all in 2020 than to mess it up so bad we'll never recognize it again.

I don't really understand why they don't just keep the original divisions and modify a schedule based on a half season. Instead of playing the Rangers and A's 19 times each we just play them 9-12 times

My proposed 82 game schedule

Games against division opponents: 36 (play each 9 times. You'd have to alternate home/away for each to make it an even overall home and away breakdown. Astros would get 18 home division games and 18 road.)
Games against other 10 AL opponents: 30 (3 games each, half of your series are home, half away)
Inter league: 16 (randomly assign 4 opponents to play a 4 game series with. Each team gets 2 inter league series at home. Or split 2-2 series home and away)



They can do 7 playoff teams for each league if they want. 3 division winners, 4 wild card teams

So potentially an Astros season could look like this.

Division:
@Texas -3, Vs Texas -3, @Texas -3
Vs OAK -3, @OAK -3 vs OAK -3
@SEA -3, vs SEA -3, @SEA -3
vs LAA -3, @ LAA -3, vs LAA -3

AL MATCHUPS
vs NYY -3
@BOS -3
vs BAL -3
@TOR -3
vs TB -3
@DET -3
vs CLE -3
@CWS -3
vs MIN -3
@KC -3

Interleague

@LAD -4 or vs LAD -2, @LAD -2
vs PHI -4 OR vs PHI -2, @ PHI -2
@PIT -4 or vs PIT -2, @ PIT -2
vs CHC -4 Or vs CHC -2, @CHC -2



I apologize if that's hard to follow. The - sign denotes series and how many games each series would be

I just hope if we are combined with the NL West that they're smart enough to schedule back to back road series with the Dodgers / Angels and Giants / A's. Oh who am I kidding, Manfred is in charge of this thing and he couldn't pour water out of a boot if the instructions were on the heel.

mwm said:

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Sometimes, when you're trying to fix something, you actually make it worse. Please, please don't this to baseball.

I'd almost rather not have any baseball at all in 2020 than to mess it up so bad we'll never recognize it again.

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So playing different teams than normal is messing it up?

The game is still the same. It 10000% beats no baseball.

cpsencik04 said:

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But those division winners could be from either league. Meaning you'd have uneven amount on one side. Say AL wins all three divisions then they get 4 wildcards. You now have 7 AL teams and 4 NL teams?

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No.

There are six divisions. The only other division American League west plays is the national league west. AL West and NL west have separate standings.

mwm said:

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Sometimes, when you're trying to fix something, you actually make it worse. Please, please don't this to baseball.

I'd almost rather not have any baseball at all in 2020 than to mess it up so bad we'll never recognize it again.

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With all due respect, that's just dumb.

This is not what the article states. It says that the leagues will be merged into three divisions.

Then that's wholly different then what MLB has been talking about doing. So who the hell knows how playoffs would work

And it's still a hell of a lot better than "no baseball at all"

So based on these three divisions What if you just did the playoffs like the NBA? Top eight or 12 teams go?

That makes more sense than these given divisions and having division champions from these

NL pennant - check
AL pennant - check
WS - check
I'd love to win a 3rd pennant "Central League" or other!

Nothing like being the the Division with the best 2 teams in baseball.

expresswrittenconsent said:

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NL pennant - check
AL pennant - check
WS - check
I'd love to win a 3rd pennant "Central League" or other!

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Yes!

I would love to win this year. No one else would ever replicate it.

Farmer1906 said:

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expresswrittenconsent said:

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NL pennant - check
AL pennant - check
WS - check
I'd love to win a 3rd pennant "Central League" or other!

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Yes!

I would love to win this year. No one else would ever replicate it.

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2020 MLB Western Division Champions. We can even break out the cowboy hats if we win it at Dodger stadium

I actually think the postseason could be better than ever.

If you took the top 3 division winners and the top record WC and have them all byes then matched up the next 8 best records (1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5) and then the winner of 1 v 8 would the Top WC team, 2 v 7 would play the worst division winner, etc.

4 rounds and you could keep increasing the games - 3 game series, 5 games series, 2 7 games series. Give ample time to semi set up your rotation between rounds.

one thing about the proposed west division...

very few hitter friendly parks outside of Coors Field.

and the Giants, Padres, Dodgers, and A's stadiums are among the worst for hitters. SF & SD especially

and injuries will play a huge role as well.

upcoming free agents have a lot riding on this short season (i.e. get off to a great start)

W said:

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one thing about the proposed west division...

very few hitter friendly parks outside of Coors Field.

and the Giants, Padres, Dodgers, and A's stadiums are among the worst for hitters. SF & SD especially

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You think that's a good or bad thing?