Major League Baseball Playoffs Examined
The Weather is Cooling Off and the Games are Heating Up
Oct 6, 2009
If the calendar shows October then that must mean it is time for some playoff baseball. The divisional and wild card races have ended and the quest for the World Series trophy is now on. The cream should rise to the top now that every single game means a whole lot. How does the MLB playoff format work? What types of baseball teams typically fare the best in playoff series? We'll take a look at both the basics and the advanced part of the Major League Baseball playoff system.
Major League Baseball Playoff Format
How does the Major League Baseball playoff format work? Well it is somewhat complicated, but not nearly as complicated as some of the other professional sports playoff systems. Eight teams make the playoffs, four from both the National League and the American League. Three divisional champions make the playoffs and a wild card team, which is the team in each league with the best regular season record that didn't win its own division. The team with the best record in each league gets home field advantage. The wild card team is matched up with the team who has the best record in each league. For the first round of the playoffs it is a best of five games series, with the higher ranked team hosting games 1,2, and 5 if necessary. The second round and the World Series are both best of seven. In the League Championship series on each side the higher ranked team is the home team for games 1,2,6, and 7. Through baseball's new rule, the home team for the World Series is determined by which league won the All Star Game.
Criticisms of Current MLB Playoff System
The primary criticism heard from players as well as fans is that the current system does not always reward the team with the better record during the regular season. For example, a team can sneak into the playoffs with a 82-80 record in a weak division and get home-field advantage over a wild card team with a record of 90-72. Some also believe that eight playoff teams is not enough, and there should be a second wild card team from both leagues added to make it ten teams that make the playoffs.
What Teams Benefit From the Current System?
The current baseball playoff system definitely benefits a team with a solid pitching rotation, especially pitchers one through four, since a fifth starter isn't typically needed in the playoffs due to the amount of days off the teams have. Teams with dominant pitching can use their starters twice in each series and make life miserable for the opposing team. A solid lineup and a bullpen that can shut opponents down are always nice, but there is no substitute for a great starting pitching rotation.
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