Playoff Expansion

[Deleted]

Something that I have been thinking about for a while that I think could help the league would be the expansion of our playoffs. Since we can't expand it to 5 teams like real life MLB, I think an expansion to a 6 team playoff system should start for the 2016 season. I wanted to hear other GMs thoughts on this issue.

60% of this league virtually has no shot at the playoffs by the end of May. An expansion of the playoffs would keep more GMs interested for longer throughout the course of the season. Also, with the same teams being buyers every year, it keeps it a little lopsided.

I wanted to make sure it wasn't just my frustration of having a 9-4 team and knowing I basically have no shot at the playoffs due to their being an 11-0-2 and 12-1-0 team in my division. Similar to last year when a 16-5-1 Cubs team didn't make the playoffs because of their division. 2013 I was 16-6 and didn't make playoffs. I'm sorry but the last 2 cases those teams deserve playoffs.

8 of 30 isn't enough. Just look at our National League right now. 11 of the 16 teams already have little to no hope at the playoffs.

Major League Baseball added a second wild card to keep fan bases interested for longer, and I think we should do the same.

Again, if it's just my frustration with how damn good my division has been, let me know. Just wanted to see where other GMs stood here.

[Jon (Astros GM)]

I know this is something Logan and I talk about during our long days at work but I am in total agreement. I think 6 teams would be ideal. I know it would enhance the playoff discount that we receive for making it. But that would give more teams incentive to play longer.

Each year deserving teams miss the playoffs. Not just teams that are average but rock stars. Logan basically showed the points I'd make with his and Cubs not making it despite stellar records. I'm sure the same thing happens in the AL.

I know we have the top 4 record discount for a team that doesn't make it but has a top 4 record. I would remove that discount and go with 6 teams per league making the playoffs. End the regular season a week early and the top 2 seeds per league get a bye.

Also my two cents on the issue, but it's long overdue

[Max (Tigers GM)]

Looking at Yahoo! settings you could keep the season at 22 weeks and go with 3 weeks of playoffs....however the tie breaker format would be something to look at given an unbalanced schedule

Have to think about this one a bit...

[Chris (Former Cubs GM)]

I would be in favor of adding a few more playoff teams. Last year I believe I had a top 4 record in the entire league and missed playoffs. I brought up playoff expansion last year but got shot down pretty quick. I understand that irl good teams miss playoffs and we try to be as realistic as possible here but I do think it would boost activity and probably push more teams to try and compete.

[Ben (Rays GM)]

Yeah, the main point against it is definitely realism. I like having ALDS, NLCS, etc, but we can still figure out what to call them and make it work. I think in the interest of balance and keeping everyone involved and competitive it's worth considering. Would love to hear what others think in regards to whether you all think it's important to keep it as close to realistic as possible or if this is something we should be flexible on in order to get a few more teams in the playoffs.

One big factor worth considering is what Logan brought up, which is division imbalance. Right now it's a huge advantage to play in a weak division, or a small one like the AL West. If three Wild Card teams all made it, it wouldn't matter as much what division you play in - you could play in a division with two juggernauts and still have hope. Then again, realism is one of the biggest things that this league has going for it, so I'm really curious whether people would be willing to sacrifice some realism for this.

[Deleted]

I'm definitely willing to sacrifice some realism for this. Seems like a no brainier to me to keep teams interested longer. The first round could be our version of our wildcard

[Deleted]

How is an argument realism? 5 teams make the playoffs from each league in real MLB, so how is 6 any less realistic than 4? And don't give me the excuse that loser of Wild Card game doesn't actually make playoffs, because they do.

[Jon (Astros GM)]

Well we already don't keep it too realistic but only because we can't make yahoo do 5 teams. So going to 6 gets us just as close as we are now. 1 up instead of 1 down. And it gets more teams involved with more incentive to keep playing.

[Ben (Rays GM)]

I definitely think four is closer to realistic than six. The Wild Card game is just one game, and once it's over you're left with 3 division winners and 1 wild card - exactly what we have now. With six teams you could end up with various other combinations (a division winner going out in the first round, a wild card winner earning the second seed and getting a bye, etc), plus you'd have the majority of playoff teams playing an extra round in the playoffs when in MLB they don't - overall, definitely a little further away from what MLB does (it's not just about the number of teams, but also the actual format). That said, neither way is exactly what MLB does anymore, so I'm all for the idea of going with the slightly less realistic option if it involves more teams, if that's what others want to do.

[Jon (Astros GM)]

We would have to look into it, but if they have the ability to make the top two division winners have the bye and then the third division winner as the #3 seed. Then slot the 3 WC teams 4-6. So that ensures that the top two teams only have to play the two playoff games. Just like in MLB if the 6 seed runs the table it was just meant to be. But the incentive to be one of the top 2 seeds is still there.

[Ben (Rays GM)]

Jul 6, 2015 15:09:58 GMT -5 Jon (Astros GM) said:

We would have to look into it, but if they have the ability to make the top two division winners have the bye and then the third division winner as the #3 seed. Then slot the 3 WC teams 4-6. So that ensures that the top two teams only have to play the two playoff games. Just like in MLB if the 6 seed runs the table it was just meant to be. But the incentive to be one of the top 2 seeds is still there.

We could definitely do it either way - either the division winners would get the automatic top 3 seeds, or the seeds just go automatically to whomever gets the best records, regardless of division winner or wild card. One problem with doing it the first way though is it could actually incentivize finishing with a worse record: if one of the 3 division winners is weaker than the other playoff teams, the 6 seed (wild card #3) has the easiest match up while the 4 and 5 seeds (wild cards #1 and #2) play each other.

[Oren (Diamondbacks GM)]

Well in my other leagues we cut out a week of reg season and have 2 WC teams in NL and AL. Then they face off in the WC week, then we do reg playoffs.

[Ben (Rays GM)]

I don't think there's an option for that on yahoo

[Kevin (Guardians GM)]

I would like it and realism can't be an argument when we have teams that have incomplete lineups, teams with multiple closers, ect, things that take away from realism. Just a quick two cents.

[Oren (Diamondbacks GM)]

I'm pretty sure it is. I'll look into it

[Max (Tigers GM)]

Been going back and forth on the pros and cons of this most of the day. I finally decided that the pros outweighed the cons. I think with an expansion of playoff teams we should do away with the best record discount. I think we should also consider redoing the discounts given for playoff teams, perhaps: 15% for WS winner, 10% division winner and 5% for wild card teams.

[Ben (Rays GM)]

I'd be against raising the discounts that significantly. A 15% discount is enormous. I'd consider making it a 10% discount for both the AL and NL champions though instead of just the World Series winner...

It sounds like the majority of those who have spoken up so far are in favor. Let's put it to a vote!

[Micah (White Sox GM)]

I agree with Kevin (Indians) by the way. Realism is nice, but there are too many other things that are not realistic. Incomplete lineups vs stacked lineups for sure.