The expanded playoff format has brought some fresh energy to Major League Baseball’s postseason, but as exciting as it is to see more teams in the mix, there’s still something missing from the Wild Card Series format. Specifically, the lack of drama that comes from a best-of-three series. While the introduction of the Wild Card Series in 2022 has provided more teams the opportunity to fight for a deeper playoff run, there’s a growing sense that the best-of-three format just doesn’t pack the same punch as a longer series would. Case in point: until this year’s Mets-Brewers series, only one Wild Card series had ever gone the full three games.
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of baseball’s postseason, especially when underdog teams win on the road, as we’ve seen multiple times in the early days of this year’s playoffs. Still, the brevity of the Wild Card Series leaves a lot to be desired in terms of true competition. It’s great to see more teams given the chance to participate, but when you look at how often the series are decided in two games, you start to wonder if a best-of-three series is even necessary. Why not just return to a one-and-done format if we’re not going to give these teams the full experience of a real playoff battle?
The Brewers and Mets have given us the rare gift of a series that will go to a decisive third game tonight, something that has only happened once before in this new Wild Card format. It’s been refreshing to see a series that will actually stretch out, providing a bit more drama and uncertainty, but this is the exception, not the rule. Most Wild Card series have been short and sweet, with the higher-seeded team often left scratching their heads after an unexpected two-game sweep. While the reward for hosting all three games is supposed to provide a competitive advantage, it hasn’t worked out that way so far. The road teams have thrived, leaving higher-seeded teams wondering what more they could have done in such a short series.
It’s worth considering whether the Wild Card Series should be expanded to a best-of-five format. Baseball is a game of strategy, adjustments, and momentum, all of which are given room to breathe in a longer series. A best-of-three format doesn’t allow for the same level of strategy that a longer series does, nor does it give teams the chance to recover from a rough start. Baseball, more than any other sport, is designed for a series format. Teams play each other multiple times during the regular season, often adjusting and outsmarting each other as the series goes on. Why should the postseason be any different?
Take the Mets-Brewers series, for example. The Brewers dominated the early innings of Game 1, with Pat Murphy’s team executing their aggressive base running plan to near perfection. The Mets, on the other hand, struggled to keep up, and it looked like they were on the verge of falling into the same trap as so many other home teams in this Wild Card format. But, as we saw in the later innings, the Mets found a way to fight back and take control of the game, winning 8-4. This resilience is what makes baseball so exciting, but in a best-of-three series, one game can make or break your entire season.
If the Mets had lost that game, they’d have faced elimination with no room for error last night. That kind of pressure is thrilling for fans, but it doesn’t necessarily allow for the best team to come out on top. A best-of-five series gives teams more opportunities to show their true abilities, and it gives the fans more games to enjoy. In a best-of-three format, one bad game or one bad inning can end your season. That’s not a fair representation of the full season these teams have played to get to this point.
The one-and-done Wild Card Game that existed from 2012 to 2021 had its own kind of excitement. The stakes were incredibly high, and the winner moved on while the loser went home. It was brutal, but it had a certain appeal in its finality. The best-of-three format feels like a half-measure in comparison. It doesn’t have the sudden-death intensity of a single-game elimination, but it also doesn’t give the teams enough time to truly battle it out over a series. The best-of-five format strikes the perfect balance between the two, giving teams a fair chance to show what they’re made of without dragging out the series too long.
It’s also worth noting that in the short history of the Wild Card Series, teams that win Game 1 have advanced 14 out of 16 times. That statistic alone shows how much of a disadvantage it is to lose Game 1 in a best-of-three series. There’s barely any room for error, and the teams that lose Game 1 are essentially fighting an uphill battle for the rest of the series. This year’s Mets-Brewers series is a rare exception, as we’re finally seeing a third game play out, but that’s not the norm. Most of these series have been over before they’ve even really begun.
If the Wild Card Series were expanded to a best-of-five format, we’d see more competitive series that allow for the kind of momentum swings and adjustments that make baseball so captivating. Teams that lose Game 1 would have more opportunities to bounce back, and fans would get to see more of their favorite teams in action. The current format feels rushed, and it often leads to disappointing endings for teams that have worked hard all season to make the playoffs.
Another argument in favor of expanding the Wild Card Series is that it would give the higher-seeded teams more of an advantage. Right now, the reward for being a higher seed is the chance to host all three games, but as we’ve seen, that hasn’t been much of an advantage. Road teams have won the majority of Wild Card Series so far, and the higher-seeded teams are left wondering what went wrong. In a best-of-five format, the higher seed would still get to host the majority of the games, but the longer series would give them more opportunities to use that home-field advantage to their benefit. It would also give them more time to settle into the series and make adjustments after a tough loss.
There’s also the issue of travel, which was one of the main reasons MLB decided to keep the Wild Card Series to a best-of-three format. The league wanted to fit these games into a tight timeframe without the added complications of travel between cities. But with the way the postseason schedule is set up, there’s plenty of time to add in a couple of travel days for a best-of-five series. The Division Series already has built-in travel days, so why not apply the same logic to the Wild Card Series? It’s not as if MLB is averse to making the postseason longer. In fact, the league has been expanding the playoffs consistently over the past few decades to include more teams and more games. A best-of-five Wild Card Series would fit right in with that trend.
The postseason is where legacies are made, and a best-of-three series simply doesn’t give teams enough time to create those memorable moments. Fans want to see their teams compete in multiple games, and they want to see their favorite players rise to the occasion in the biggest moments. A best-of-five series allows for those moments to develop naturally, while a best-of-three series often feels like it’s over before it’s even begun.
Consider some of the most iconic postseason moments in baseball history. Many of them happened in the later stages of a series, after teams had already battled through multiple games. The drama builds over the course of a long series, and that’s what makes baseball so unique. You can’t manufacture that kind of tension in a best-of-three series. It has to develop organically over time, and that’s why a best-of-five format would be a better fit for the Wild Card Series.
At the end of the day, baseball is a sport that’s built on long-term competition. The regular season is 162 games long, and teams play each other multiple times throughout the year. It doesn’t make sense to suddenly condense the competition into a short best-of-three series when the stakes are at their highest. A best-of-five series would allow for a more accurate reflection of each team’s abilities, and it would give fans more of the baseball they love.
The Mets-Brewers series has given us a rare taste of what a real Wild Card Series could be like, with both teams fighting hard to force a Game 3. But this is the exception, not the rule. Most Wild Card series end in two games, leaving fans and teams alike feeling unsatisfied. If MLB truly wants to make the Wild Card Series a meaningful part of the postseason, they should consider expanding it to a best-of-five format. It would provide more drama, more competition, and more of the baseball that fans crave.
Here’s the thing folks: while the current best-of-three Wild Card Series has its moments, it doesn’t provide the same level of excitement and competition as a best-of-five series would. Baseball is a game of strategy, adjustments, and momentum, and a longer series would allow teams to showcase their full potential. The Wild Card Series should be expanded to a best-of-five format to give fans and teams the playoff experience they deserve. The Mets and Brewers have shown us the potential for drama in a longer series, and it’s time for MLB to embrace that potential.
With that… buckle your seatbelts because it is almost time for first pitch in Milwaukee. Let’s go Mets!
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