In the American League, the system brought several teams into the mix leading to a one game match up to decide the second wild card. It saw a team win out the last ten games of it's season. It saw the Drama of several teams in extended winning streaks and made the end of the season interesting instead of just a wind down to the excitement of the playoffs.
I think the league would be well served to return to a 154 game schedule and expand the playoffs. They could eliminate or greatly curtail the abomination that is inter league play and have a wild card play off of best of 3 series, a division series best of five, an LCS of best of seven and a World Series best of 9.
They had a best of nine World Series in the past and the expanded interest in a two team Wild Card as well as four more post season games would increase TV add revenue far greater than the gate receipts of the seven regularly scheduled games.
I’d prefer each league add a team for a total of 16 and have 4 divisions per league and one champion per division.
You could at least then argue about the strength of this division versus that division.
Otherwise, why play all those games??? 162 games is more than enough time for any unfortunate team to find itself and makes its way to the top....if they are the top team.
Then your tournament is a tournament of champions.
I’d far rather watch that.
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