That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

MLB Playoff proposal ridiculous, here’s how it should work

By Travis Strominger

TORONTO, CANADA - JULY 28: A Toronto Blue Jays fan holds a sign about the teamâs drive to the playoffs during MLB game action against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 28, 2015 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - JULY 28: A Toronto Blue Jays fan holds a sign about the teamâs drive to the playoffs during MLB game action against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 28, 2015 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 27: First baseman Ryan Howard #6 of the Philadelphia Phillies talks to Jakub Voracek #93 of the Philadelphia Flyers prior to the game against the Atlanta Braves on September 27, 2014 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 27: First baseman Ryan Howard #6 of the Philadelphia Phillies talks to Jakub Voracek #93 of the Philadelphia Flyers prior to the game against the Atlanta Braves on September 27, 2014 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Currently, sixteen of the thirty-one NHL teams make the playoffs. Last year, the first round of the playoffs saw plenty of upsets, such as the Columbus Blue Jackets (98 points) sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning (128 points, tied all-time single season wins record with 62). The Dallas Stars (93 points) upset the Nashville Predators (100 points), and the Colorado Avalanche (90 points) upset the western-conference winning Calgary Flames (107 points).

On the surface, that’s exactly what MLB’s proposed playoff format is hoping for – creating more openings in the playoff field for a greater chance of the “Cinderella story” teams that have great runs as low seeds. But that creates two problems: less-talented teams deep in the playoffs, and a diluted value of regular season games.

The first problem, you have less talented teams advancing deeper into the playoffs, which could produce an undesirable playoff product in a higher-stakes round.

The second round of the NHL playoffs last year was largely unappealing in the Western Conference (despite both series going seven games) and possessed two lopsided matchups in the Eastern Conference.

For example, last season, you could have seen an NLDS matchup between the LA Dodgers (106-56) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (85-77), the third-place team in the NL West, behind in the division race by 21 games at season’s end. In the AL, the Houston Astros (107-55, scandal aside) could have faced the Boston Red Sox (84-78) in the division series, a 23-game difference.

I don’t think Major League Baseball should be rewarding mediocre teams an opportunity in the playoffs.

The playoffs are reserved for the best teams for a reason. And, in a best-of-three series, the possibility is highly likely that the bad teams win because a shorter series provides greater statistical variance.

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