One of the big sells for proponents of the expanded playoffs is that it will reward division winners by making wild card winners play in that one-game playoff.
But what expanded playoffs giveth to division winners, expanded playoffs may taketh away. Here’s a report from Amy Nelson of SBNation:
The addition of another wild card team will create a play-in game between the two wild cards, but because the 2012 regular season schedule was made prior to this proposed addition, there may not be enough days built in for travel. Therefore, if MLB cannot find a resolution, the current 2-2-1 format would change to 2-3, with the division winners opening away from their respective home ballparks.
This would only be for this season due to the schedule jam. But really, two guaranteed home playoff games for the wild card team and only one guaranteed home game for the division winner?
Nice goin’, guys.
