Could we have a last-minute rule change to the 2020 Major League Baseball postseason?
It appears so.
As it stands, 10 teams will make the postseason during the abbreviated season, which begins Thursday. But according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the league and union have re-engaged “on the possibility of expanded playoffs for this season.”
Sources: MLB and union are re-engaging on the possibility of expanded playoffs for this season. Has to be done before first pitch 25 hours from now, but there seems to be optimism. Hope was to go from 10 playoff teams to 16.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 22, 2020
What’s more, it needs to be finalized by first pitch of Opening Day, as Heyman noted, which begins at 7:08 p.m. ET.
ESPN’s Buster Olney added some additional details:
If MLB, PA agree to a 16-team playoff field for 2020, that likely means, given the calendar limits, that the first round would be best-of-three. The heavy favorites, Dodgers and Yankees, might be playing for their lives right away.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 22, 2020
The potential expansion could prove to have a huge impact on the league by allowing 16 of the 30 MLB teams into the postseason. Teams that may not look like they have the best chance on paper all of a sudden could be contenders.
This season potentially could get much more interesting.
