Rob Manfred’s desire to keep MLB playoff format for next season is met with disdain
With fewer than two weeks remaining in the regular season, none of the 30 Major League Baseball teams have been eliminated from playoff contention.
That includes the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have a .298 winning percentage and were swept in a weekend series by the Royals, who are in last place in the American League Central.
As it currently stands, two National League teams would make the playoffs this year with a losing record.
These baseball oddities are a result of a shortened 60-game season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the expanded 16-team playoff format.
If a coronavirus vaccine is developed ahead of next season, teams will go back to playing a 162-game schedule. The playoff format, however, might be here to stay.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred made that known during a virtual panel event Monday night conducted by Hofstra University, per the Washington Post.
“I think there’s a lot to commend it, and it is one of those changes I hope will become a permanent part of our landscape,” said Manfred, who added “an overwhelming majority” of owners favored an expanded playoff format before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2012, the playoffs have had a total of 10 teams (three division winners and two wild cards from each league).
So the news of a postseason change was not met with happiness.
Here is what Craig Goldstein, editor in chief at Baseball Prospectus, wrote:
Craig Calcaterra, the former NBC Sports baseball writer shared this:
Lindsey Adler, who covers the Yankees for the Athletic, tweeted:
Connor Kurcon of the Six Man Rotation wrote:
FanGraphs writer Dan Szymborski noted:
Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report tweeted:
