How the MLB Playoffs Would Be if I Were Baseball Commissioner

October is upon us once again, which means another year of dramatic and exciting baseball playoff action. I believe the MLB baseball playoffs are set up very well, enabling themselves to maximize the great excitement.

There are many that believe there should be changes to the playoff format. To review if you are unfamiliar, the road to the World Series consists of the 6 division-winning teams, 3 in each league. These teams automatically qualify for the Divisional Series. In addition, there are two wild card teams in each league. These teams play a one game playoff, with each winner advancing to the Divisional round.

Is a one game playoff for these wild card teams fair after they played 162 to get to this point? There are many that say it is not, especially since these one of these very good teams (some of which are better than the division winners) will be gone after one playoff game. Those that argue its fairness state that the game was created for two reasons. One is that in previous years, there were a significant amount of wild card winners that went on to win the World Series. There was no major advantage to winning your division over being a wild card. That leads to the second reason the game was created, to place more of a focus on winning the division, and not just making the playoffs. Opponents of the one game playoff say it would much more fair for the teams if it was a best 2 out of 3 series.

In my opinion, the one game wild card playoff is the way to go. I believe the focus and reward ( especially after a long 162 game season) should be placed on winning the division, and these division winners should have an advantage in getting to the World Series. I am not against wild card teams being successful and winning the World Series. As I mentioned earlier, there are cases where these teams have better records than some division winners. However, I still believe it should be easier for the division winners to go far. This wasn't the case before the one game playoff.

My take is this...if you don't want to risk your whole season in a one game playoff, then win your division. I know sometimes it's extremely difficult, especially when you are behind a team that completely dominates. However, if you still don't think it's fair, consider this...up until 1995, there was no wild card. If you didn't win your division, you didn't make the playoffs. There have been teams that won over 100 games that didn't even make the playoffs because the team in front of them had an even better record. At least now, you have one additional game and chance to get in.

I hope baseball never changes this one game wild card playoff. Besides the reasons I already mentioned, I also believe it just adds so much excitement to the game. Besides the fact that more teams are alive in the last month of the season for possible playoff contention, the game itself is edge of seat, constant drama and excitement.

Although I would vote to forever keep the one game wild card playoff the way it is, I would make one change to the playoff format. Again, I am not against wild card teams winning it all. However, I am all for the teams with the best records having the biggest advantage in getting to the World Series. I think the best way to provide that advantage would be to increase the Divisional Series from a best of 5 series, to a best of 7 like the other two series. In a short series, one slip up can cost a team the entire series. A couple of lucky wins can send one team ahead with great momentum, while completely deflating the other. In a 7 game series, one bad break won't cost a team as much, and they can still recover. The team that can sustain the momentum over a 7 game series truly deserves to win, and it doesn't matter if they have the better record or not.

I will say that I truly enjoy the baseball playoffs they way they are, and if they never change again, I will be OK with that. In my opinion, the one step to perfection would be to just increase that first series, and make every series after the one game wild card playoff a 7 game one. I certainly hope you enjoy all of the exciting baseball action!