2022 MLB playoffs--- who's in?

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

I was looking at the standings this morning and was somewhat shocked to see the Wild Card standing in both divisions. It really looks like the teams that are "in it"... will be IN IT. The only issue really are some of the divisional races with the losers being out and the winner having a worse W-L record than a few teams sitting outside the wildcard- Baltimore (F'IN BALTIMORE!!!) in the AL... possibly, but unlikely Philly in the NL. Milwaukee really looks like the only team that is "in it" that won't be IN IT.
As much as it pains me... I don't see the MFY's falling enough for either the Rays or Jays to catch them. The Astros really have locked the West down. Seattle, Rays and Jays look like they're in. It seems like it'll be a race in the Central- Cleveland with a 3 game lead but Chicago and Minnesota within striking distance.
I'm picking
1. Houston
2. MFY
3. Cleveland
4. Seattle
5. Rays
6. Jays

In the NL
1. Dodgers
2. Mets
3. Cardinals
4. Braves
5. Philly
6. Padres

Playoff prediction thread is best after it's all settled. No play-in games this year IINM, yeah?

 

[SemperFidelisSox]

Unless something crazy happens these final two weeks, the AL playoffs look like this:

Byes: Houston and New York

AL Central winner vs Wild Card #3
Wild Card #1 vs Wild Card #2

 

[Max Power]

All three Wild Card games are at the home field of the division winner and Wild Card #1. Seattle will be crazy if they get the top spot. They've been waiting a long time for a playoff game.

 

[VORP Speed]

Seattle has a cakewalk schedule the rest of the way. Rays schedule is brutal, so nothing guaranteed yet. BAL and TOR have pretty rough schedules, too, fortunately. And, as was expected when this format was announced, the 3rd WC going to the AL Central winner is actually a better spot than the 1st or 2nd WC. The 2nd WC especially gets screwed. If it’s a tight race for 2/3 at the end and they are both well clear of the 4th team, there are some perverse incentives at play.

 

[dynomite]

And, as was expected when this format was announced, the 3rd WC going to the AL Central winner is actually a better spot than the 1st or 2nd WC. The 2nd WC especially gets screwed.

It does feel like they should reseed based upon Wins for the Wild Card round. I know the league wants to incentivize winning the Division, but in my opinion you do that with the 2 byes and automatic entry to the playoffs for the 3rd team.

But I’m the guy who loved the one game Wild Card playoffs — it was appointment viewing in prime time and easy for me to watch, as opposed to an entire separate series — so maybe I’m just wrong here.

 

[Max Power]

I still think it's too many teams, but the new playoff system is actually a really fair way to decide the American League this year. The Jays, Rays, and Mariners haven't done anything to separate themselves and the Yankees and Astros have been much better than the rest of the league. Giving those two a bye and having the rest of the four fight it out makes sense.

The National League would have been much more fair under the old, old system with one wild card treated like the rest of the division winners. The Braves, Mets, Cardinals, and Dodgers shouldn't have to play any of those other teams in the playoffs. So the new system is currently batting .500.

 

[jon abbey]

I still think it's too many teams, but the new playoff system is actually a really fair way to decide the American League this year. The Jays, Rays, and Mariners haven't done anything to separate themselves and the Yankees and Astros have been much better than the rest of the league. Giving those two a bye and having the rest of the four fight it out makes sense.

The National League would have been much more fair under the old, old system with one wild card treated like the rest of the division winners. The Braves, Mets, Cardinals, and Dodgers shouldn't have to play any of those other teams in the playoffs. So the new system is currently batting .500.

The right teams will make the postseason but they still badly need to reseed based on record once they get there. The Dodgers shouldn't have to play both the Braves and the Mets, those are the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the league and should play each other while STL plays the Dodgers (assuming the favorites win the first round series). CLE's late charge has made the 4/5 as compared to the 3/6 in the AL not so different, but the NL shows that they badly need to reseed. You can still win your division and get into the postseason with an 83-79 team but you shouldn't get the #3 seed for that.

 

[VORP Speed]

The right teams will make the postseason but they still badly need to reseed based on record once they get there. The Dodgers shouldn't have to play both the Braves and the Mets, those are the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the league and should play each other while STL plays the Dodgers (assuming the favorites win the first round series). CLE's late charge has made the 4/5 as compared to the 3/6 in the AL not so different, but the NL shows that they badly need to reseed. You can still win your division and get into the postseason with an 83-79 team but you shouldn't get the #3 seed for that.

They’re never going to re-seed after a round of playoffs because MLB wants a playoff “bracket” for marketing and betting purposes. What they should do is seed the 3 WC and worst division winner by record prior to the playoffs.

 

[jon abbey]

They’re never going to re-seed after a round of playoffs because MLB wants a playoff “bracket” for marketing and betting purposes. What they should do is seed the 3 WC and worst division winner by record prior to the playoffs.

Yes that's what I meant, not reseeding after a round.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Yeah, that's the point that I don't get. The NFL refreshes its bracket after the WC rounds, and have no problems encouraging betting. Of course, that's a one-off game and not a series with complicated travel arrangements that would have to be made on the fly after WC winners are determined.

 

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

Really still surprised by how this likely won’t be coming down to the final 2-3 games. AL is basically done.
NL could… Milwaukee is still in it but neither they nor San Diego really seems to want to be in it

 

[streeter88]

Really still surprised by how this likely won’t be coming down to the final 2-3 games. AL is basically done.
NL could… Milwaukee is still in it but neither they nor San Diego really seems to want to be in it

Agreed. but for the rain, would have all been decided yesterday leaving no excitement in the final middle of the week. As it is, this week is rest and reset for all but the Mets who were madly trying to catch up to Atlanta again after their stumble last weekend.