It looks like the 5-team format will be a reality for 2012.

Click here for the article.

I think it's a great plan, but we've debated this one before.

It will be interesting to see how it affects teams this year.  We could see the Nationals or Marlins making trades to get them over the hump.  And in the AL, we should see some great races for the East and West divisions.

WORST. COMMISH. EVAH.

Posted by rsp777 on 2/29/2012 8:57:00 PM (view original):
From the article...

"In the new format, each league’s three division winners would earn a first-round bye; the Nos. 4 and 5 teams would play a game to determine the wild-card, which would then play the top-seeded division winner in the first round, unless they are in the same division."

I absolutely HATE that part of it. WTF difference does it make if the top-seed and the WC winner are from the same division? Especially if the WC winner has to win a play-in game. Sure it's a small annoyance but another annoyance nonetheless. If Boston wins the WC and NY has the best record then they should have to play each other in the first round. The WC should face the BEST team regardless and it makes NO sense to me to have it otherwise.

That part is wrong.  Everywhere else I've heard, the WC winner will play the top seeded team regardless of division.

It's not 100% yet, right?    I'm sure they're still working out the fine details and this is just leaked info.  Not surprising that it contradicts itself at times.

Personally, I'm not a fan. If this had been the case last year, the finish we had would never have happened and both the Red Sox and Braves would have made the play-in when they really didn't deserve to. IMO, this makes the playoffs less exclusive. I like only having the playoffs open to 8 of 30 MLB teams. It makes for entertaining races and finishes. That being said, however, some of the best games I have witnessed have been one-game playoffs to make the postseason, so it could be interesting, I'm just not a huge fan.

I'm not sure I get the uproar. Now, if two teams are tied, there's a play in game. Obviously the two WC teams won't necessarily be tied, but it's not like this is something new. Hell, despite the collapses of ATL and BOS last year, we still could easily have ended up with a play-in game in each league - which is what we'll have now.

Besides, I've been hearing whining for years about how the system isn't fair because it's so easy for WC to get hot and win it. Now, they either have to waste their ace in the play-in game, or save their ace for the ALDS, which they may not get to.

The kind of finish we saw last year would be just as likely to happen between the 5th and 6th place teams.  It's not like the top WC team has a monumental collapse every year.

Less sellers at the trade deadline.   Might be 3-4 teams fighting for that 5th spot.

Posted by jm1618 on 3/1/2012 7:50:00 PM (view original):
The kind of finish we saw last year would be just as likely to happen between the 5th and 6th place teams.  It's not like the top WC team has a monumental collapse every year.

I realize that, but for whatever reason, I just don't think it's as interesting. As opposed to what happened with the Rays and Cardinals this year ("Congrats, you played your tails off to make the playoffs"), instead you get "Congrats, you played your tails off to get a chance to make the playoffs." IMO it cheapens things a bit.

One of the things I do like about it is the fact that a WC team will have to use their best pitcher in the play-in game. It gives a definite advantage to the division winner in the next round.

Maybe not.   If you're chasing the 5 spot, you might have to use him on the last day on short rest.    

Posted by rsp777 on 3/2/2012 6:29:00 AM (view original):
One of the things I do like about it is the fact that a WC team will have to use their best pitcher in the play-in game. It gives a definite advantage to the division winner in the next round.

Well, not always, but it certainly does make for some interesting decisions in the rotation for sure. As a Twins fan, I remember the AL Central tiebreaker back in '08 against the White Sox. Neither of us threw our aces (Danks went for Chicago, we threw Blackburn) mainly to save them for the playoffs (didn't work out so well for us, as we gave Blackburn 0 run support, but it worked for Chicago as Buehrle pitched Game 2 against the Rays (although they lost the series and that particular game))

Now MLB has made the expansion official.  Also worth noting, the Division Series (in 2012 only) will begin with 2 home games for the lower seeded team followed by 3 home games for the higher seeded team.  This is to make room in the schedule for the extra playoff games.

And the "no playing division rivals in the first round" is history.

Jayson Stark had some good stats on ESPN. Apparently the average win total for the teams that would have nabbed the second WC spot over the last 17 years is 89, with most over 90, so it's not like it's going to help crappy teams sneak in.

The major difference now is that if you have two teams tied for a division lead with both guaranteed to make the playoffs, they have to have a playoff game, instead of the team with the better H2H record winning the division and the other getting the WC.