For simply the third time since 2012, the groups with every league’s finest regular-season file met within the World Sequence. What if that occurred yearly?
For many years, that was how Main League Baseball labored. The most effective gamers on the very best groups went from the highest of the standings on the ultimate day of the common season on to a yearly alternative to jot down the October narrative within the World Sequence. With each addition to the postseason because it expanded to 4 groups in 1969, the percentages of the very best groups being the final two standing have gotten somewhat longer. The format has managed the narrative.
The tales we keep in mind a couple of season are largely pushed by the construction that it employs, intentional decisions made by the league’s designers concerning the schedule, the alignment and the playoff discipline. From 1903 by way of 1968, there was just one attainable technique to play within the Fall Basic. Thus, the narratives a couple of massive chunk of baseball historical past are advised by way of that prism. It is a prism that hasn’t been relevant fairly often throughout the wild-card period.
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At present, we’re enjoying somewhat what-if. What if the dynamic that was in place for the American League and Nationwide League all these years — no playoffs however merely pitting the 2 first-place groups towards one another within the Fall Basic — by no means modified?
Sure, baseball would have nonetheless added groups over time and moved groups into totally different markets and such, however the World Sequence would stay the area of the league’s two pennant winners. Everybody else goes dwelling as soon as the sport meter hits 162.
The 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers-New York Yankees showdown reminded us simply how massive the matchups may really feel, and the alternate realities that emerge in these eventualities over latest years are as wealthy in potentialities, each for the modified common seasons in addition to the World Sequence. What’s misplaced is every thing that occurred between the top of the common season and the beginning of the Fall Basic — no wild-card video games, no division collection, no championship collection. That is plenty of dramatic moments misplaced to oblivion, which we should keep in mind.
Clearly, the tales we might keep in mind about every season could be very totally different, however would they be higher or worse? Protecting our give attention to the present four-round playoff period, let’s rewrite latest baseball historical past.
Observe: Numbers in parentheses characterize league rank by won-lost file, not playoff seed. The place wanted, ties had been damaged primarily based on head-to-head outcomes.
Precise World Sequence: (3) San Francisco Giants over (7) Detroit Tigers
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: New York Yankees vs. Washington Nationals
What’s gained: The good points within the common season would have been appreciable. In our alternate AL, the Yankees received the pennant by one sport over the Athletics and two over the Orioles and Rangers. The Yankees had been 4 video games again of Texas on Labor Day, so it might have been a torrid stretch run that put the Bombers excessive. Going into the final week of the season, six groups would have been mathematically alive, and considered one of them would have been the real-life pennant winner, Detroit.
The ultimate days of the season would have been epic. The Yankees beat Boston thrice in a row to carry on to the flag over the A’s, who received their final six video games solely to fall brief. In doing so, the Athletics nudged apart the Rangers, whom they swept to finish the marketing campaign. Within the Yankees’ clincher in Sport 162, Robinson Cano went 4-for-4 with two homers and 6 RBIs in a memorable 14-2 drubbing of the Pink Sox. By the center innings, it might have been clear: The Yankees win the pennant!
The NL stretch run would have been virtually as dramatic. The Nats edge the Reds by a single sport, with the Braves and real-life champion Giants ending 4 again. Everybody else would have been eradicated coming into the ultimate week. That pennant race would have additionally been selected the ultimate day.
The Sequence would have been a juicy matchup that includes present and soon-to-be superstars. That Yankees workforce had Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Andruw Jones and CC Sabathia, amongst others, although Mariano Rivera was injured. The Nationals, in search of a franchise-first championship, had two emergent younger stars: budding ace Stephen Strasburg and a 19-year-old rookie named Bryce Harper who was enjoying in his first World Sequence.
What’s misplaced: The Giants-Tigers World Sequence pitted the 2 eventual MVPs — Buster Posey and Miguel Cabrera — towards one another. Bruce Bochy, with out the expanded playoffs, wouldn’t solely lose this title in a classic-format universe — he’d lose all 4 of the championships he has received.
Within the common season, we might have misplaced the AL Central race during which Detroit edged the White Sox by three video games and led them by only one sport with every week to go. We’d have additionally misplaced a pair of semi-close races for the second wild-card slot in every league.
2013: Pink Sox-Cardinals stays
Precise World Sequence: (1) Boston Pink Sox over (1) St. Louis Cardinals
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Identical
What’s gained: Earlier than 2024, this was the final full season that yielded a one-versus-one World Sequence matchup. So our alternate actuality season leads to the identical place. The most important modifications in narrative would have been the September chases in each leagues.
Within the AL, solely three groups are alive coming into the ultimate week, and the main target is on Boston’s one-game lead over Oakland. The Pink Sox grasp on regardless of shedding two one-run video games at Baltimore to complete the season. The Athletics are eradicated in Sport 161, shedding 7-5 in Seattle due to a two-homer, five-RBI outburst from Brad Miller.
Over within the NL, the ultimate week is operatic. 5 groups are alive with seven days to go, and they’re all inside 2½ video games of one another — the Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers, Reds and Pirates. The Cardinals had been 5 again of Atlanta on Labor Day however have been approaching sturdy down the stretch. With no margin for error, the Redbirds win their final six and 10 of their final 12. The clincher comes on the ultimate day with a 4-0 whitewashing of the Cubs.
What’s misplaced: Cleveland, Texas and Tampa Bay all completed inside a sport of one another for the 2 AL wild-card slots. The Rangers and Rays tied for the final spot and within the traditional format we might have misplaced the Rays’ 5-2 victory in a tiebreaker, a victory that featured David Worth’s complete-game win. Additionally, within the playoffs, we lose Detroit’s five-game win over Oakland within the ALDS. The Tigers received Sport 5 behind a gem from Justin Verlander, who went eight two-hit innings with 10 strikeouts.
Within the NL races, nothing too dramatic would have passed by the wayside. Nevertheless, within the traditional format, the Pirates would nonetheless be caught in an extended postseason drought. When the Pirates earned a wild-card slot in 2013, as they went on to do in 2014 and 2015 as nicely, they made the playoffs for the primary time since 1992. Within the traditional format, the drought would stretch again to 1991, however the upside is that Pittsburgh owned the NL’s finest file in each 1990 and 1991, and thus would have seen a pair of Barry Bonds-led pennant winners in these campaigns.
2014: Mike Trout(!) vs. Bryce Harper
Precise World Sequence: (5) San Francisco Giants over (4) Kansas Metropolis Royals
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Los Angeles Angels vs. Washington Nationals
What’s gained: Each leagues would have featured uncrowded races within the season’s ultimate days. Within the AL, the Angels held a 2½-game edge on the Orioles with every week to go. Within the NL, Washington led the Dodgers by the identical margin, although the Cardinals had been nonetheless alive at 4½ video games again. The Angels and Nationals each ended up profitable by two video games, and neither pennant was nonetheless up for grabs on the ultimate day.
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With pennant race drama considerably muted in 2014, the main target would have been on the wonderful particular person matchup within the World Sequence, which might be remembered because the Mike Trout-Bryce Harper World Sequence. Trout, 22, received his first MVP that season, although his 2012 and 2013 seasons had been even higher. In actual life, 2014 was his solely playoff look; however within the traditional format, that will have come within the Fall Basic. That individual albatross is one he would have shed way back.
Harper could be making his second World Sequence look, although 2014 wasn’t his finest season. Early accidents and struggles left him with simply three homers by way of the top of July. Nevertheless, Harper caught fireplace after that, hitting 10 homers during the last two months, and would have been firing on all cylinders by the point the conflict with Trout got here to move. This 12 months’s Aaron Decide-Shohei Ohtani hype would have included one thing like “the very best World Sequence famous person matchup since Mike Trout and Bryce Harper a decade in the past.”
What’s misplaced: The Royals and Tigers would have been out of the working, their AL Central battle misplaced. Kansas Metropolis, which received the pennant as a wild card, would nonetheless be engaged on an extended playoff drought. Its wonderful comeback within the epic wild-card sport towards Oakland would by no means have occurred. And never solely would Bochy lose one other title, as talked about, however the Giants wouldn’t be a three-time champion within the 2010s. Certainly, they could nonetheless be on the lookout for their first San Francisco title. However perhaps not — keep tuned.
2015: An in-state Fall Basic
Precise World Sequence: (1) Kansas Metropolis Royals over (5) New York Mets
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Royals vs. St. Louis Cardinals
What’s gained: For 2015, now we have to start with that World Sequence matchup. Thirty years after the primary I-70 Sequence, the Cardinals get an opportunity for revenge. St. Louis skipper Mike Matheny would have been managing within the Sequence towards the workforce he ultimately managed. However it’s important to surprise: Matheny solely managed St. Louis for 2 extra full seasons after 2015. If he had led the Cardinals to a different World Sequence (along with 2013), would it not have been longer?
Within the AL pennant race, 4 groups had been alive coming into the final week, with the Royals and Blue Jays tied for the lead. They had been nonetheless tied coming into the ultimate weekend, on which Toronto misplaced two straight at Tampa Bay. The Royals grabbed the lead on the second-to-last day, beating Minnesota behind a gem from Yordano Ventura. In the meantime, the Jays lose a intestine puncher on a two-out, two-run game-winning single by the Rays’ Tim Beckham towards Toronto nearer Roberto Osuna. Kansas Metropolis wraps it on the ultimate day, beating Minnesota once more to complete the season with a five-game profitable streak.
The 100-win Cardinals cruise to the NL pennant regardless of being shut out of their final three video games throughout a sweep in Atlanta. St. Louis had the NL wrapped up earlier than that collection started however, clearly, the Cardinals wouldn’t have entered the Fall Basic matchup towards the red-hot Royals on a great word. The Cubs and Pirates light, however they had been each inside putting distance of the Cardinals going into the final week.
What’s misplaced: The rise of the Cubs would have been a scorching story in any context. However in actual life, Chicago earned a wild-card spot and superior to the NLCS, shedding to a different scorching story within the pitching-rich Mets. The Matt Harvey phenomenon? A lot much less muted on a fifth-place workforce out of the working by the center of September.
There would have been plenty of good playoff baseball misplaced. The Mets beating the Dodgers in a five-game NLDS, with Jacob deGrom shining within the clincher. The Royals’ come-from-behind ALDS win over Houston, gone. Kansas Metropolis’s dramatic six-game ALCS win over Toronto, poof.
We additionally would have misplaced a seminal what-if: Had the Mets not made the playoffs, then Harvey wouldn’t have been on the mound within the ninth inning of the final sport of the World Sequence. Would his profession have turned out in another way had that by no means occurred?
2016: The Cubs vs. … ?
Precise World Sequence: (1) Chicago Cubs over (2) Cleveland
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Cubs vs. TBD (Cleveland or Texas Rangers)
What’s gained: A crowded AL pennant race would have gone to additional time. As of Labor Day, six groups would have been within the working, all inside 6½ video games. By the point we hit the ultimate week, that quantity was right down to 4, with the Pink Sox and Rangers tied for the lead, 1½ video games forward of Cleveland, and the Blue Jays clinging to hope, down 5½ video games.
With the pennant race reaching its crescendo, Cleveland bumped into dangerous climate in Detroit. Their sport on Thursday, Sept. 29, is washed out and cannot be made up till the day after the common season. This occurred in actual life. Texas completed a half-game forward of Cleveland for the AL’s prime seed, however because the Rangers owned the rulebook tiebreaker, and tiebreaker video games aren’t performed simply to find out a seed, the make-up sport was by no means performed.
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Nevertheless, within the traditional format, it might have been. Had Cleveland received that make-up sport in Detroit, it might then have performed the Rangers in a tiebreaker for the AL pennant. Thus we’d have gotten our Cubs-Indians World Sequence in any case — and arguably in a way more dramatic style. In the meantime, the Pink Sox missed an opportunity to essentially muddle the end-of-season waters by shedding two straight one-run video games at Fenway Park towards Toronto to complete the marketing campaign.
As for these Cubs, they stunning a lot made a shambles of the NL, so there was zero pennant-race drama down the stretch.
What’s misplaced: As soon as once more, dramatic wild-card races drew our eyeballs because the season wound down. As with all seasons like this, the place the wild-card races are the closest ones, our consideration drifts to the center of the standings. The Mets and Giants edged St. Louis by one sport for 2 NL slots, whereas Baltimore and Toronto held off Detroit and Seattle within the AL. There weren’t any division races with even a semblance of drama in 2016, so all of the down-the-stretch consideration was fastened on the wild playing cards. This might not have been the case within the traditional format.
As for the playoffs, we had only one collection go the gap. That was within the NLDS, the place the Dodgers eked previous the Nationals, profitable Sport 5 by a 4-3 rating. That was the sport the place Kenley Jansen threw 2â…“ scoreless aid frames and Clayton Kershaw bought the final two outs for what stays his solely profession save.
The true drama was the 2016 World Sequence — which we’d nicely have gotten in any format.
2017: Signal-stealing Astros lose their crown
Precise World Sequence: (2) Houston Astros over (1) Los Angeles Dodgers
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Cleveland vs. Dodgers
What’s gained: Who is aware of what would have change into of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, however we are able to not less than say this: After shedding an epic pennant race towards Cleveland, Houston wouldn’t have had the possibility to win a tainted championship. As a substitute, Cleveland would have gotten maybe its second straight shot at ending its title drought.
The AL race would have largely been a two-team battle between Cleveland and Houston, however it might have been an all-timer. On Labor Day, the unofficial begin of the stretch run, Houston led by three video games, however Cleveland was within the midst of its 20-game profitable streak, ending up going an unbelievable 33-4 to complete the season.
Nonetheless, Houston was additionally scorching, because the Astros went 14-3 to finish the season. With each groups shedding their second-to-last video games, it might have come right down to the ultimate day, with Cleveland holding a one-game edge. Cleveland beat Chicago 3-1 to clinch, using a strong begin from Josh Tomlin and 3â…” scoreless innings from the spine of that workforce, its bullpen. Closing standings: Cleveland 102-60, Houston 101-61.
The NL was right down to a two-team race between the Dodgers and Nationals by Labor Day, however L.A. pulled away from there, cruising to a pennant and right into a rematch of the 1920 World Sequence.
What’s misplaced: Frankly, not a lot. The Pink Sox and Yankees went to the wire within the AL East, although each made the postseason. Neither would have joined the Cleveland-Houston derby in a traditional format. The race for the NL’s second-wild card got here right down to the end, with the Rockies edging the Brewers by a sport.
The playoffs in 2017 featured plenty of shut, tense matchups, so shedding these could be powerful. The Yankees overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat Cleveland in 5, then dropped a traditional seven-game collection to Houston within the ALCS. The Cubs beat the Nationals in a five-game NLDS collection, profitable the finale 9-8.
Principally although, we by no means would have gotten that Astros-Dodgers World Sequence. Whether or not or not you take into account {that a} loss relies on how jaded you are feeling about it, given the Houston scandal. However on the time, that seven-game traditional was one of many higher Fall Classics in fairly awhile.
2018: An MVP matchup on the most important stage
Precise World Sequence: (1) Boston Pink Sox over (3) Los Angeles Dodgers
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Pink Sox vs. Milwaukee Brewers
What’s gained: Properly, to start with you’ve gotten the Brewers’ first NL pennant, their solely different World Sequence look coming after they had been nonetheless within the AL. With a pennant comes the possibility at a championship, so maybe the Brewers would not be one of many 5 franchises with out one.
Extra sure is that the Brewers would have earned that shot by profitable an incredible NL pennant race during which they overcame their bitter rivals to the south, the Cubs. Chicago and Milwaukee performed in a tiebreaker for the NL Central title in 2018, however within the traditional format, that will have been a winner-take-all sport for a berth within the World Sequence.
The race would have been about greater than these two groups. Going into the final week, six NL golf equipment would have been alive, with the Cubs main the pack, 2½ video games up on Milwaukee. Chicago did not collapse however as a substitute the Brewers caught fireplace, profitable their final seven to get into that tiebreaker which, in fact, they received.
The Pink Sox ran away with the AL pennant however maybe the shortage of drama on that aspect would have been outweighed by a World Sequence matchup that featured the 2 eventual MVPs in Mookie Betts and Christian Yelich.
What’s misplaced: To say the Pink Sox ran away with the AL within the traditional format is true — going into the final week, the Astros — at 6½ video games again — had been the one different contender nonetheless mathematically alive. However the Yankees and Astros joined the Pink Sox as 100-game winners in 2018 and neither would have made the playoffs in a one-seed-only state of affairs. Nonetheless, Boston misplaced simply two video games in rolling over each groups on the best way to the Sequence.
Within the NL, we might have misplaced a second tiebreaker sport, because the Dodgers needed to beat the Rockies to find out the NL West champion. We additionally would have misplaced the excellent, seven-game NLCS during which the Dodgers beat Milwaukee.
2019: Now we get our Astros-Dodgers showdown
Precise World Sequence: (4) Washington Nationals over (1) Houston Astros
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
What’s gained: Whereas the traditional format would have prevented the 2017 Astros-Dodgers pairing, we might have gotten it right here, and it might have been a conflict between groups that mixed to win 213 video games. Once more, we won’t know the way this matchup might need been coloured by the Houston scandal, which did not break till after this World Sequence. However not less than the matchup itself would have been untainted.
The Dodgers and Braves are the one severe NL contenders, and even that race would die out by the final week as L.A. pulled away. The true story would have been on the AL aspect.
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The AL featured three 100-win groups in 2019, the Astros, Yankees and Twins. The pennant race boiled right down to these three by Labor Day, when the Yankees and Astros had been tied, with Minnesota 4 video games again. By the ultimate week, the Twins had been barely alive at six video games behind, however the Yankees had been only a half-game again of Houston, each groups with 102 wins.
That arrange an intense conclusion however, alas, the Yankees light within the ultimate days, shedding 4 of 5 at Tampa Bay and Texas. Houston received six of its final seven contests, and 12 of its final 14, to grab the crown — its first throughout the interval coated in our revised historical past.
What’s misplaced: The Cardinals completed two video games up on Milwaukee to win the AL Central, although the Brewers nonetheless bought in as a wild card. Neither would have been within the working in a revised format. Milwaukee needed to fend off the Mets, Diamondbacks and Cubs for that second wild-card slot.
The eventual champion Nationals, the highest NL wild card, would by no means have sniffed the postseason within the traditional format. Whether or not or not this implies the Expos/Nationals franchise was nonetheless in search of its first title relies on how our alternate-history 2012 and 2014 World Sequence got here out, as Washington would have represented the NL in each of them.
FormatYearsMatchupsOne spherical, two teams1903, 1905 to 1968*65-for-65 (100%)Two rounds, 4 teams1969 1980, 1982 to 1993**9-for-24 (37.5%)Three rounds, eight teams1995 to 2011***2-for-17 (11.8%)4 rounds, 10 teams2012 to 2019, 2021****1-for-9 (11%)4 rounds, 12 teams2022 to present1-for-3 (33%)*no World Sequence in 1904**split-season, eight-team format in 1981 didn’t yield a one-vs-one pairing***no World Sequence in 1994****pandemic-shortened 2020 (four-round, 16-team format) did yield a one-vs.-one
2020: Dodgers-Rays stays
Precise World Sequence: (1) Los Angeles Dodgers over (1) Tampa Bay Rays
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Identical
Look, everyone knows there’s a lot we might change about 2020 if we may, in baseball and past. Insofar that the 2020 MLB season could be redeemed, it’s arguably redeemed as a result of regardless of a 16-team bracket, the very best groups truly ended up within the World Sequence, and the clear finest workforce that 12 months — the Dodgers — received it. Past that, there’s not a lot to be gleaned about that season.
2021: Do Giants lastly win their first title in San Francisco?
Precise World Sequence: (5) Atlanta Braves over (3) Houston Astros
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Tampa Bay Rays vs. San Francisco Giants
What’s gained: Here is a Giants pennant gained through the traditional format however, alas, it is too late for Bochy, as this was Gabe Kapler’s membership. The Rays win their second straight AL pennant, giving them one other shot at exiting the zero-titles membership.
Beginning with the AL, the Rays would have had this nicely in hand by the center of September. The Astros, Yankees, Pink Sox and White Sox — the opposite groups that made the real-life AL playoffs in 2021 — all had been inside hailing distance of the Rays, but it surely wasn’t that shut. Tampa Bay ended up 5 video games higher than Houston atop the AL.
Within the precise NL that season, the Giants and Dodgers staged a memorable battle to win the NL West, with San Francisco (107) profitable by a single sport over L.A., making the Dodgers one of many best-ever second-place groups. That also would have been the case within the traditional format however the stakes would have been greater — first place, or nothing. The groups’ final head-to-head sport that 12 months was Sept. 5, which might have appeared like an incredible misplaced alternative on the time. At 4½ video games again on Labor Day, the Brewers had hopes of becoming a member of this dash however quickly light.
This might need been a World Sequence in pursuit of firsts — the Rays attempting to safe the franchise’s first title; the Giants maybe attempting to win their first championship since shifting to San Francisco. Remember — their 2010, 2012 and 2014 titles by no means occurred.
Nevertheless, the Giants additionally completed with the NL’s finest file in 2000, so that will have been one other shot at profitable it. It additionally would have been Bonds’ third Fall Basic, after his two alternate-history pennants in Pittsburgh.
What’s misplaced: Braves historical past would look lots totally different within the traditional format. They’d lose this title, which suggests Freddie Freeman would have simply received his first ring — with the Dodgers. Nevertheless, get this: Atlanta completed with the NL’s finest file 9 instances in 12 years between 1992 and 2003. They really received 4 pennants (and one title) throughout that span, but it surely may have been a lot extra.
The one playoff collection that went 5 video games was the Dodgers’ NLDS win over the Giants. But when we might have had that lengthy, head-to-head scramble between them for the NL pennant, we would not have wanted that.
2022: Astros-Dodgers II
Precise World Sequence: (1) Houston Astros over (6) Philadelphia Phillies
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
What’s gained: A very long time to investigate the pending Astros-Dodgers rematch from alternate 2019. The groups received 217 video games between them this time, and each loved sizable leads of their respective leagues over the ultimate weeks of the marketing campaign.
What’s misplaced: The primary six-seed in a World Sequence, for one. The primary five-versus-six seed LCS as nicely — the Phillies and the Padres. The Mets and Braves tied for the NL East title with 101 wins — no tiebreaker video games within the new format, a disgrace — and somewhat than shifting into the bracket, they each would have completed 10 video games again of the Dodgers. The down-the-stretch fixation on the race for the NL’s third wild card — Philly beat the Brewers by a single sport — would have been misplaced.
2023: Ronald Acuna Jr. begins 40/70 membership, meets O’s in October
Precise World Sequence: (4) Texas Rangers over (6) Arizona Diamondbacks
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Baltimore Orioles vs. Atlanta Braves
What’s gained: An incredible World Sequence pairing. The Braves, using Ronald Acuna Jr.’s historic season, and the title-starved Orioles, with younger stars Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson, amongst others. Each groups received over 100 video games throughout the common season.
Each leagues would have featured two-team races. The Orioles and Rays duke it out into the ultimate week, although Baltimore wraps issues up with a few days to go. The Braves and Dodgers go toe-to-toe within the NL, however Atlanta is ready to maintain L.A. at arm’s size down the stretch.
What’s misplaced: The Rangers’ first title would by no means have occurred, as neither World Sequence entrant would have sniffed the postseason. The three-team race within the AL West, the one during which Seattle was left with no playoff slot, would haven’t occurred. The seven-game ALCS during which each the Rangers and Astros went good on the street wouldn’t be a factor. Arizona’s seven-game NLCS win over the Phillies would even be gone, so we might have misplaced two winner-take-all pennant clinchers.
2024: The East Coast-West Coast showdown we simply noticed
Precise World Sequence: (1) Los Angeles Dodgers over (1) New York Yankees
No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup: Identical
What’s gained: Typically, even the format cannot get in the best way. Though, it is a season during which the alternate-reality common season is drastically enhanced by the traditional format.
The one down-the stretch dramas we had concerned groups that received 80-something video games. The Royals, Tigers and Mariners comprised a type of races, all for 2 of the three AL wild-card slots. The Mariners additionally had a shot on the AL West crown, received by the 88-win Astros. The NL was the identical story, with the Diamondbacks not noted of an NL wild-card spot within the three-team derby with the Mets and Braves.
Within the traditional format, there would have been six AL groups inside 5½ video games of the lead on Labor Day, whereas the NL would have had 5 groups inside six. It could have made for an awfully enjoyable September. By the final week, we might have been down to 2 within the AL (Yankees by 2½ over the Guardians) and 4 within the NL (all inside 4 video games).
Coming into the ultimate weekend, we might have had the Yankees with a one-game edge over Cleveland, and the Dodgers one sport up on the Phillies.
What’s misplaced: An excellent postseason, together with the Mets’ run, the Royals and Tigers advancing to the ALDS, the nice Dodgers-Padres NLDS — all of it, vanished. And it does really feel like a loss, however how a lot of that’s as a result of, as enjoyable because the journey might need been, we nonetheless ended up with the matchup so many needed within the first place?
We additionally would not have gotten that epic day-after-the-season, on which the Mets and Braves performed their memorable make-up doubleheader, giving Francisco Lindor the platform for his clinching homer that is likely one of the signature moments of his profession.
