MLB Players’ Union Discuss Upping 2020 Playoff Teams From 10 To 16

With the MLB season kicking off this Saturday with an abbreviated 60-game regular-season schedule, the MLB network reported that the Players’ Union is discussing upping the number of teams in this year’s playoffs from 10 to 16. Although, this is likely motivated more by ad revenue that could be gained from the extra games this also may be a move to add a greater sense of legitimacy to a rather wonky season that most people expect.

Baseball is a game of runs and with the normal mammoth 162-game regular season even the worst of teams can go on a solid 60-game run which, with the reduced number of teams, may lead to some fraud-like appearances in the playoff. With this potential playoff expansion, there will be more playoff games that sports-starved fans will almost definitely tune into, and there is a lower chance that a team that is more deserving than another but gets off to a slow start, will be eliminated from playoff contention wherein a normal year they would have made it.

If all goes well with this idea it is possible that baseball could maintain this number of playoff teams when the game is able to return to a normal, complete season. While nothing is finalized, I see this as a no-lose proposal for the MLB and one that it should jump on immediately. At a time like this, few people are calling for less high-level sports action and this could be the boost that the league was looking for after it’s ratings have been declining over the past few years.