General Baseball Playoff Picture

[Mentch]

IMO the current baseball picture doesn't give other teams enough of a chance to make the playoffs, unlike in football, where you can finish just over or at .500 and still get in as a wild card.

 

Here's how the playoff picture would look if the current playoff format allowed for 6 teams:

 

AL West

2. LA Angels 97-65

5. Texas 87-75

Seattle 85-77

Oakland 75-87

 

AL Central

3. Detroit 86-76

6. Minnesota 86-76

Chicago 79-83

Cleveland 65-97

Kansas City 65-97

 

AL East

1. NY Yankees 103-59

4. Boston 95-67

Tampa Bay 84-78

Toronto 75-87

Baltimore 64-98

 

NL West

1. LA Dodgers 95-67

4. Colorado 92-70

5. San Francisco 88-74

San Diego 75-87

Arizona 70-92

 

NL Central

3. St. Louis 91-71

Chicago 83-78

Milwaukee 80-82

Cincinnati 78-84

Houston 74-88

Pittsburgh 62-99

 

NL East

2. Philadelphia 93-69

6. Florida 87-75

Atlanta 86-76

NY Mets 70-92

Washington 59-103

 

Playoffs would be set up in the same way that it's set up right now in the NFL, almost the exact same way to circa 2002. The 1st wild card team hosts the 2nd wild card team in a 5-game series, and the 3rd wild card plays the No. 3 seed, or the lowest seeded division winner.

 

Here's how the playoff matchups would look:

 

American League

6. Minnesota @ 3. Detroit

5. Texas @ 4. Boston

 

National League

6. Florida @ 3. St. Louis

5. San Francisco @ 4. Colorado

 

The No. 1 and 2 seeds would get a first round bye, just like in football, and they would host the winners of the first round series, with no. 2 hosting the highest seeded winner.

 

Is this a good idea, or no? IMO it gives more teams the abilitly to compete in October instead of sitting at home watching the playoffs on TV. I just noticed that a bunch of 80+ win teams and even 85+ win teams are out of the playoffs.

[fish7718]

No, byes don't work in baseball. Teams can't wait a week while teams play out series's. Plus this would mean the season would stretch into October. It's just too much. The current system works fine. 3 wild card IMO is retarded.

[Lkr]

no, baseball is the only sport where you really earn the playoff spot.

[Phightins]

Absolutely no way bye's would work in baseball. These teams are playing almost every single day for six straight months, they would completely get thrown off. The teams with the first round byes would get absolutely wrecked in the second round.

 

Also, one of my favorite parts about baseball is that the playoffs are so selective. You have to be one of the four best teams in the league (well in most cases) to make it. In the NBA and NHL, mediocre teams can slip in as 7 and 8 seeds. Nothing against that, I think it is cool for those sports, but I'd rather keep baseball as it is.

[fly3rs18]

No, byes don't work in baseball. Teams can't wait a week while teams play out series's. Plus this would mean the season would stretch into October. It's just too much. The current system works fine. 3 wild card IMO is retarded.

 

i actually agree with you for once....

 

 

 

Also, one of my favorite parts about baseball is that the playoffs are so selective. You have to be one of the four best teams in the league (well in most cases) to make it. In the NBA and NHL, mediocre teams can slip in as 7 and 8 seeds. Nothing against that, I think it is cool for those sports, but I'd rather keep baseball as it is.

 

also agree. i dont think there is anything wrong with the nba and nhl playoffs (concerning number of teams), but baseball is better with the smaller playoffs

[kingfish]

Nope makes the MLB postseason much more exciting when its higher stakes and less teams.

[fish7718]

Absolutely no way bye's would work in baseball. These teams are playing almost every single day for six straight months, they would completely get thrown off. The teams with the first round byes would get absolutely wrecked in the second round.

 

Also, one of my favorite parts about baseball is that the playoffs are so selective. You have to be one of the four best teams in the league (well in most cases) to make it. In the NBA and NHL, mediocre teams can slip in as 7 and 8 seeds. Nothing against that, I think it is cool for those sports, but I'd rather keep baseball as it is.

Completely agree. Makes the regular season mean a lot more. Also the thing with baseball is we all know you can't script October. Any baseball team can beat any baseball team in a 7 game series. In basketball we pretty much know the dominant teams don't have to worry about the 8 seed. In baseball you WOULD have to worry about the 8th seed upsetting the 1 seed. The 6 teams works in football because the top 2 teams do deserve byes, byes help a lot in football, and there are 4 divisions so 1 wild card wouldn't really work. I think all the playoff systems work fine in professional sports. It's the BCS that needs a look.