The first week of Major League Baseball’s 2020 postseason was memorable to say the least. For the first time, there were 16 teams eligible to make the playoffs. Each division winner, second place finisher, and next two best overall records in each league make up 8 teams on each side capturing a ticket to the big dance. The result of this new opening round, featuring 3-game series, was 18 playoff games involving 16 different teams in 5 action-packed days. The new format was an incredible experience for fans and should not be discarded for future seasons. This is a critical step to continue to grow the game of baseball.
Growing the game of baseball with the younger generation has proven to be a difficult task. Regardless, commissioner Rob Manfred will be judged on this and he knows it. 2020 has been a disaster for Manfred from a public relations standpoint. He has repeatedly stumbled and baseball has shown that not much has changed with its lack of adaptability in the lead up to the 2020 season. The shortened season still feels very weird to many but I believe the league hit pay dirt with the enhanced playoff format. The start to this year’s pandemic post-season felt like College Basketball’s march madness. Much like march madness, there is always intriguing matchups and the possibilities of upsets where the lower seeded team prevails. The endless possibilities also lead to more fan involvement. The math is quite simple, the more teams in the dance, the more fans will tune in from a numbers standpoint. To complement this, the additional teams and games is also attractive to the casual fan whose team may not be playing postseason baseball. The scheduling allows for fans to tune in as you please as games are slotted from the early afternoon into the late night.
More teams and more games in the playoffs seem like a no-brainer but there is an obvious hinderance in a full 162-game season. The lack of a reward for having the best record in your respective league for a full season will be fought tooth and nail by the players union. To be at your best for 162 games and step into the same 3-game series as every other team is a huge slap in the face. This issue may be what holds back fans from seeing this format again in future seasons. There is one factor that can put the above concerns to bed, and that is money. The union, owners, and Manfred will put their differences aside in the name of deeper pockets. All parties will be unable to deny the opportunity for increased viewership, ad time, and ticket sales(beyond 2020). This is outstanding news for us fans. Let there be October madness in 2021.