MLB expands playoffs to 16 teams for shortened 2020 season, adds best-of-three Wild Card Series

[raiders72001]

Major League Baseball will have 16 playoff teams in the 60-game 2020 season, the league announced Thursday night. The league and union restarted talks about an expanded postseason -- a concept that previously came up in negotiations about the 2020 season that ultimately proved fruitless -- earlier in the week and wanted to strike a deal before the 2020 season started Thursday night. They were able to succeed.

Here are some notable features of the new format:

• All first-round games will be part of best-of-three series. The games will also all be played at the home of the higher seeded-team, eliminating the need for a travel day. The "Wild Card Series" will all take place between Sept. 29 and Oct. 2.
• The league and MLBPA agreed on a $50 million postseason bonus pool for players, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic. MLB had previously offered $25 million in negotiations last month.
• All eight second-place teams (every division) will qualify for the 16-team playoff format. The seventh and eighth teams will be chosen by the best record among other teams. Teams will be seeded one through eight based on the 2020 season record.
• The division winners will be seeded 1-3; the second-place teams will be seeded 4-6 and the final two "wild card" teams will be seeded 7-8

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...0-season-adds-best-of-three-wild-card-series/

 

[MrTop]

manfred should start the playoffs today & let all the teams in LOL



put a man on third to start the game.. LOL... killing the game

 

[Chi_Archie]

Not a fan of that in such a high variance sport with small sample size

 

[Sportsrmylife]

Not a fan of that in such a high variance sport with small sample size

I think this is a move to avoid this variance.

what if the big dogs, dodgers and Yankees, don't have great seasons.

this gets them in no matter how they play.

follow the money

 

[Viejo Dinosaur]

This season should be full of asterisks....

 

[Chi_Archie]

I think this is a move to avoid this variance.

what if the big dogs, dodgers and Yankees, don't have great seasons.

this gets them in no matter how they play.

follow the money

What do you think has a higher chance of happening via variance.

A)Yanks or Dodgers fail to finish in top 5 of their leagues after 60 games and miss playoffs? (Regular format)

B) Yanks or dodgers lose two out of three in the first round and get knocked out

 

[IWishIWasAPro]

B

 

[Sportsrmylife]

This new format makes it 100% that LAD and NYY make the playoffs.

 

[Almost Allright]

What do you think has a higher chance of happening via variance.

A)Yanks or Dodgers fail to finish in top 5 of their leagues after 60 games and miss playoffs? (Regular format)

B) Yanks or dodgers lose two out of three in the first round and get knocked out

16 teams insures b can still happen if a doesn’t. It’s a safety net.

 

[blueline]

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/winners-and-losers-in-mlbs-new-playoff-format/

 

[Chi_Archie]

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/winners-and-losers-in-mlbs-new-playoff-format/

Very interesting, thanks


The Dodgers — aka the best team in baseball — were the biggest movers, losing almost 3 percentage points of championship probability (still leaving them at an MLB-best 19 percent going into the season). The Astros and Yankees each lost nearly 1 percentage point, and everyone else gained or lost less than two-thirds of a percentage point apiece:

 

[Chi_Archie]

Dodgers odds to make the playoffs went up the least. From 87 to 96 percent.


I guess mlb was really worried about that big 13 percent chance of missing playoffs.
I wonder what their % chance of losing their first 3 game series will be.

 

[kane]

Having half the league make the playoffs is idiotic, I think it's only for this season though

 

[FairWarning]

Dodgers odds to make the playoffs went up the least. From 87 to 96 percent.


I guess mlb was really worried about that big 13 percent chance of missing playoffs.
I wonder what their % chance of losing their first 3 game series will be.

IDK what arrangement the owners have with the players, it could be different this year. Usually the players do not get paid for the playoffs like the regular season.

 

[Wade]

might as well let every team into the playoffs

 

[jimmythegreek]

Continued destroyed integrity. Only a matter of time before this falls to #3 in national preferred major sports

 

[TonyMar]

1st round teams that do not win the division,...

None will get a home game. There is an edge to getting to sleep in your own bed & no travel.

But agree with the consensus here, bad idea.

 

[kane]

Continued destroyed integrity. Only a matter of time before this falls to #3 in national preferred major sports

It already is number 3, behind the NFL and NBA

 

[jimmythegreek]

It already is number 3, behind the NFL and NBA

Then why do multiple sources say otherwise when it comes to nationwide popularity?

 

[kane]

Then why do multiple sources say otherwise when it comes to nationwide popularity?

last year I remember reading where the NBA had surpassed MLB in terms of popularity among whatever demographic they were using

 

[kane]

https://sports.yahoo.com/basketball...-favorite-sport-soccer-gaining-161139304.html

 

[Chi_Archie]

Trade deadline will be very interesting

Top end starting pitchers and late inning relievers will be very valuable to the stretch run and navigating 4 separate playoff series.

The amount of sellers and buyers will be way out of wack with the short season and extra playoff spots. There might only be 3-5 teams that can truly wave the white flag and unload good vets. Meanwhile the bad teams will prob be the teams hurting for $ this year and owners might be meddling into GM decisions on unloading or adding contracts during these uncertain times.

 

[jimmythegreek]

https://sports.yahoo.com/basketball...-favorite-sport-soccer-gaining-161139304.html

https://sportsshow.net/most-popular-sports-in-america/

 

[kane]

https://sportsshow.net/most-popular-sports-in-america/

This article is only going by TV ratings, there are other ways of determining which sport is more popular than just TV ratings. The average age of a baseball fan is 57, the average age of a basketball fan is 42, baseball can't attract a younger audience. The NBA has an average following of 29.4 Million on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, compared to 6.3 for MLB. MLB is trying all these new rules in an attempt to speed up the game to attract younger viewers, it's not good when the average age of a fan is almost 60

 

[kane]

Jimmy, if you scroll down to the bottom of the article you linked, it says "Top ten most popular sports in America list", it has football first, basketball second, and baseball third, and this is straight from the article you linked

 

[TonyMar]

Trade deadline will be very interesting

Top end starting pitchers and late inning relievers will be very valuable to the stretch run and navigating 4 separate playoff series.

The amount of sellers and buyers will be way out of wack with the short season and extra playoff spots. There might only be 3-5 teams that can truly wave the white flag and unload good vets. Meanwhile the bad teams will prob be the teams hurting for $ this year and owners might be meddling into GM decisions on unloading or adding contracts during these uncertain times.

Sure will.

The deadline is just 5 weeks from tomorrow. Could see teams in contention for one of the wild-cards that will sell.

Players like Lindor and Bryant who are not going to be signed to future contracts,...those guys could be moved in a couple weeks.

 

[kane]

Covid all over the league, several Reds and Marlins have it, this will be a nightmare all season with guys getting the virus

 

[jimmythegreek]

Jimmy, if you scroll down to the bottom of the article you linked, it says "Top ten most popular sports in America list", it has football first, basketball second, and baseball third, and this is straight from the article you linked

Kane, while I agree with your logic on various ways and sources of determination, my article was taken as of June 2020. Yours dates back all the way from January 2018.

 

[kane]

Kane, while I agree with your logic on various ways and sources of determination, my article was taken as of June 2020. Yours dates back all the way from January 2018.[/QUOTE]

I did say it was an article I read last year, and yeah, it goes all the way back to only 2 years ago. How much could have changed in only 2 years? Also, the article you linked was from this year, and like I said, scroll down to the bottom and it says basketball is second in popularity and baseball third

 

[jimmythegreek]

So you're telling me preferences don't change? I see what it says at the bottom, but if there are varying sources that report, it's difficult to determine.

 

[kane]

Jimmy, I'm sure be can both find articles to back up our claims, but had we discussed this about 10- 20 years ago it wouldn't even be close, baseball would be way ahead, right now whether either sport is more popular is at least debatable, years ago it wouldn't have been, and if I had to bet on which sport is more popular 5- 10 years from now, based on the trends it would be basketball

 

[jimmythegreek]

Jimmy, I'm sure be can both find articles to back up our claims, but had we discussed this about 10- 20 years ago it wouldn't even be close, baseball would be way ahead, right now whether either sport is more popular is at least debatable, years ago it wouldn't have been, and if I had to bet on which sport is more popular 5- 10 years from now, based on the trends it would be basketball

I agree with you there.

 

[lastyle7]

The NBA is catching up to MLB but not there yet.

 

[MrTop]

Jimmy, I'm sure be can both find articles to back up our claims, but had we discussed this about 10- 20 years ago it wouldn't even be close, baseball would be way ahead, right now whether either sport is more popular is at least debatable, years ago it wouldn't have been, and if I had to bet on which sport is more popular 5- 10 years from now, based on the trends it would be basketball

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Forbes got his info from Marketcast


JANUARY 7, 2020

Which of the following mainstream sports leagues is most popular among the following age groups?

 

[MrTop]

MLB future I would say is in trouble

 

[winkyduck]

MLB future I would say is in trouble

Nope. Not in trouble

DOA!

I sense the season will be called off no later than mid-August. As long as the teams are taking this as serious as those supporting a certain candidate for office not only will this not go away but it will get worse. We will know about what the status of MLB in 2021 will be like on November 3

 

[lastyle7]

will there be 16 eligible teams to make the playoffs.

 

[MrTop]

go back to 4 divisions like the 1970's

 

[Valuist]

MLB future I would say is in trouble

MLB numbers not good but check out NFL. Trending in a very negative way

 

[MrTop]

the NFL and MLB going down hill fast. The NBA has done a great job the last 35 years. bird & magic to MJ to kobe & shak to Lebron ........... MLB needed trout to be in NYC ... MLB does better when the Yankees are in the W.S. If the dodgers win a few championships it would help..