This format does not reward division winners. St. Louis will still play Pittsburgh.
I can see the Tampa Bay/Cleveland play in if they end with the same record, but they didn't.
Cleveland should just move on to play Boston, instead they have to play one more play in game and beat TB just to get to a spot they already earned imo.
I just think the 2 play in games are a waste, and yes I understand it gives 2 more teams some hope.
It doesn't really extend the playoff race, and actually makes it less important to win the division.
Have you suffered a concussion recently? How the hell would it make it LESS important to win the division??
I can see how someone would think adding more wild card teams makes it less important to win the division, cuz well there is like more teams in the playoffs n stuff. Not the case!
Before the 2nd wild cards were added, the only difference between winning the division and getting the wild card was that you would have a lower seed in the playoffs. Playoff seeding in baseball doesnt mean 1/10th of what it does in basketball however, so it didn't used to matter all that much whether you won the wild card, or you won your division, as long as you were in the playoffs.
Now, winning the division is HUGE. If you don't win the division you are in a 1 game playoff.
At face value, it seems like baseball purists would hate it, but when you dig a little deeper and think about it, it's a great way to have wild card teams, but reward division winners (what baseball purists have been wanting.)
I think it's great just from the standpoint of rewarding division winners, then when you factor in how fun the wild card races are at the end of the year and how insanely intense a 1 game playoff is, it's one of the best things to happen to baseball in awhile.
