Major League Baseball is exploring the possibility of changing the current playoff format before the start of the 2022 season. The following changes have been proposed by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, according to Sherman’s report:
- Seven teams from each league make postseason
- Teams with best record in each league get wild card round byes
- Two other division winners and top wild card team host all games of three-game series in wild card round
- Two other division winners get to pick their wild card round opponents (during a live broadcast) from three other wild card teams, the top wild card team plays the unpicked team
- Three series winners and team with a bye advance to divisional round
Cincinnati Reds’ pitcher Trevor Bauer didn’t like the idea one bit and took to twitter to voice his frustration Monday.
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Bauer also released a video detailing his reasons against the league’s proposal and claimed, “I’m really really upset about this new ridiculous playoff policy that Rob Manfred has suggested or proposed or leaked. I don’t even know how it got on the internet, I don’t even know why it would even get on the internet it’s that ridiculous.
He later commented about how time off could affect pitchers. “Who put this out without thinking of the fact that the best team in the league is gonna get a six-day layoff, a seven-day layoff,” Bauer said. “While we sort out this whole three games here and this wild card and we’re gonna pick our opponent and we’re gonna do this whole reality TV stuff.”
Bauer also voiced his frustrations over the MLB’s lack of innovation to address the declining viewership of professional baseball. “As the commissioner, figure it out man … how are we supposed to get them interested in the game when they can’t even see the damn game?” Bauer said. “And on top of that, they cant even go to Twitter, where all the young people hang out. Market the players. You have more players in baseball than any other league, with much more diverse backgrounds worldwide. … it’s the least marketable because you make stupid decisions about how you market the players. You don’t open it up. Let content go. Get it out there. Where’s the innovation in content? Where’s the next thing that’s going to draw fans in? … Who’s identifying with the young fans?”
He finished the video with a strong message directed at Manfred. “Hit me up. I’m sure you can contact me,” Bauer said. “I’m sure you’ll probably be fining me.”
