As the previous saying goes, if it ain’t broke, Rob Manfred will break it.
While Major League Baseball’s earlier playoff format included the controversial wild card sport, which often meant that at the least one 90-win crew would have their whole season come down to 1 sport, it additionally was a lot simpler to know than the brand new bracket.
Implemented after the lockout, the brand new playoff format consists of six groups from every league and killed the wild card sport in favor of a three-game wild card collection. While enjoying a best-of-three collection is a greater strategy to decide a superior crew than one sport, it additionally might unintentionally damage the groups who win their division. Now, the highest two groups in every league obtain a first-round bye, one thing that’s rather more advantageous in different sports activities than it’s in baseball. Rather than simply ready out one sport to see who their opponent is, the highest two seeds might doubtlessly have to take a seat round for 3 video games, maybe disrupting any rhythm that they had going.
If the Mets can maintain off the Braves to win the National League East, they assure themselves a spot within the Division Series, which continues to be best-of-five. If they need to accept a wild card spot, it means having to win two video games in opposition to the Phillies, Padres or Brewers earlier than enjoying in an NLDS. For the Mets, shedding the NL East would imply grabbing the No. 4 seed, as their ultimate file ought to be a lot better than the opposite groups competing for a wild card spot. While a wild card collection means enjoying immediately and never having to fret a few layoff messing with their timing on the plate or total mojo in different elements of the sport, it additionally means having to face the Dodgers within the NLDS.
The winner of the National League Central (secure to imagine it will likely be the Cardinals, who’ve a 7.5-game lead coming into play on Tuesday) is all however locked into the No. 3 seed. The Dodgers and their historic profitable will put them within the No. 1 seed, and the NL East winner ought to have sufficient wins stacked as much as are available second. That leaves the Cardinals — until they’ll make a spectacular September run for the second straight season — because the division winner with the worst file, which means they get third.
There’s an argument to be made that the third seed is the perfect one to get. Doing so means enjoying the sixth-seed within the wild card spherical — and enjoying every sport at residence, as the upper seed has home-field benefit for every sport — after which dealing with the No. 2 seed within the NLDS somewhat than the mighty Dodgers. The Dodgers will get the winner of the No. 4-5 match-up it doesn’t matter what. Even if the sixth-seed pulls an upset, MLB has determined to not re-seed for the following spherical. Think of it like an NCAA Tournament bracket, the place the fixtures are set in stone, permitting a crew the potential luxurious of a neater championship path ought to they run into an underdog winner as a substitute of the favored crew that the underdog took out.
So, if the Mets win their division and take the NL silver medal to the Dodgers’ gold, they’ll await the winner of the three-game collection between St. Louis and whichever wild card crew has the worst file.
If Atlanta wins the division, the Mets are rapidly in a three-game dogfight with the fifth seed whereas the Braves chill out. That most definitely means seeing the Phillies (a crew the Mets went 14-5 in opposition to this yr) or the Padres, who they misplaced 4 of six to. While any crew that qualifies for the playoff is an efficient one, the remainder of the NL contenders are doubtless hoping the Brewers can wiggle their method in.
Sure, the Brewers have made the playoffs every of the final 4 years they usually have a fearsome high of the pitching rotation. They’ve additionally scored simply 11 runs of their final seven postseason video games, solely one among which resulted in a Milwaukee win. As a crew, the Brew Crew rank solely barely above common on offense this season as Christian Yelich’s slugging share continues to wilt. Taking two of three from the Brewers looks as if a lot much less of a frightening job than doing so in opposition to the Phillies or Padres, who each have rather more star-studded lineups to pair with their frontline pitching.
In brief, profitable the division is the Mets’ finest plan of action. A primary-round bye generally is a little unusual, however it’s definitely higher than having to play their method into the NLDS, particularly if stated NLDS can be in opposition to the Dodgers.
Securing the NL East means wrapping up the No. 2 seed, not having to fret a few wonky three-game collection and never seeing the Dodgers till the NLCS. That offers them a lot better odds of creating the World Series than enjoying a wild card collection does, even when the bye that comes with profitable the division might permit rust to set in.
Taking a couple of days off within the warmth of October can at all times be an issue, however with this new format that goals to reward the perfect groups in every league, that could possibly be a traditional case of getting an excellent drawback.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com