What about the teams that win more than the division champions in other divisions. A team could win their division winning 82 games while another team in another division could lose their division while winning 95 games.
Beside without the Wild Card. Many of the divisions and playoff schedules are set by early September leaving da couple dozen meaningless games to be played out on the schedule.
Those division winners having more or fewer games won could be argued on the basis of strength of their division.
But, if a second place team can’t win against their division first place team after all those games, then why should they get another shot at it?
Let’s make the season count. That will be a disincentive for lackadaisical play and a reward for trying harder.