If MLB wanted the strongest wildcard team, it would be a three-game series. MLB is actually trying to handicap the wildcard team in the next playoff series by burning their best pitcher. The thinking is too many wildcard teams have been in the World Series. Last year featured two wildcards in the World Series.
The problem comes from division winners sitting around for 5 or 6 days to start the play offs while teams struggling to get in the wild card play their game or break ties for the wild card spots. I wonder if not having your rotation set perfectly is an actual penalty when compared to not actually playing and keeping an edge. I suppose time will tell. But I don’t know how you get around it. A three game WC series would seem to only make it worse, even if they cut down regular season games which doesn’t seem to have much of a chance of ever happening.
Freegards
Baseball commissioner was discussing that possibility this week. One of the arguments against it is that it forces the division winners into a one week layoff...which is not always a good thing. Also, the chance of bad weather is greater in the fall...if there’s a rain out, or two...then the next series gets delayed..or the WC winner has to play the next day...also..with a best of three series..and the good chance you can have teams on both coasts in the WC..then that’s a tough travel schedule...