MLB To Expand Playoff To 10 Teams As Early As This Season

Sources have reported that Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are close to announcing an expansion of the current playoff format from 8 to 10 teams. Thursday is the deadline (albeit a soft deadline) for implementing an expanded playoff field for the upcoming 2012 season. The new format would feature 2 wildcard spots in each league instead of just one. Those two wildcard teams would then play each other in the first round while the 3 division winners would have a first round bye of sorts. The players union had been initially opposed to expanding the playoffs until the 2013 season when the MLB will realign into 2 15 team leagues as opposed to the current format where there are 16 NL teams and 14 AL teams (the Houston Astros will leave the NL Central and move to the AL West).

I am personally all for this idea. Having only 8 playoff teams in a 30-team league with 162 games played a season just makes sense. It also better serves the division winners who will get the advantage of a bye. Since the wildcard spot was added in the mid-90s there really has been no real advantage to winning your division over just winning the wildcard. I also think this is a big improvement to the current 1-game playoff that results if two teams finish the regular season tied after 162 games. I'm trying to image who would not benefit from this current situation and am having trouble thinking of anyone. Hot teams sneaking into the playoffs and going on deep playoff run is something that is going to happen regardless and happen in any sport. Period.

Of course this doesn't make a lick of difference to any of us Mets fans who can't really have a positive outlook on our team's playoff chance until at least 2014 at the earliest, and even that's optimistic. Obviously this isn't a done deal yet but the signs are all pointing to 10 teams competing for the World Series this October.