The baseball league and players have agreed to add six more spots to the postseason run
In the most recent history of the MLB, having both the league and players agree on something hasn’t been easy at all, but this latest decision might be a win for everyone. The baseball league met with members of the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) yesterday to figure out a solution to successfully finish this year’s season, and it has to do with making changes to the playoffs by adding more games. The result of the talks should be nothing but good news for everyone, especially the fans.
Instead of having only ten teams in the playoffs, there will now be 16. This means that all six divisions in the league will send the team that finishes in second place to the playoffs, as well as well as the division leaders. The final seventh- and eighth-place teams to make it to the playoffs will be chosen based on who has the best record at the end of the regular – but modified – season. “This season will be a sprint to a new format that will allow more fans to experience playoff baseball. We look forward to a memorable Postseason concluding a year like no other,” explained MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement.
The first round of the postseason will start on September 29 and conclude on October 2. This first round will see four three-game series for each league – the American and National Leagues – with the higher-seeded team to earn home-field advantage. After this, the structure will continue as it usually does with five-game series in each division that will lead to the finals.
