Does the MLB Playoff format give Wild Card teams an unfair advantage? Are we really asking this question? Seeing as how the Wild Card teams are 5-1 through the first six games of the League Division Series, on the surface it seems like a fair question.
The Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Baltimore Orioles all lost Game 1 of their respective series over the weekend. In fact, the O's are now down 0-2 to the Texas Rangers.
Though the Houston Astros won Game 1 over the Twins, Carlos Correa powered Minnesota to victory in Game 2. That series switches to Target Field later this week with the two teams tied at 1-1.
Does MLB Playoff format give Wild Card teams an unfair advantage?
So, do the Wild Card teams have an advantage? This question isn't just based on the results from this past weekend. Last season, both the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres roared past the competition in the NLDS and met in the League Championship Series.
Both the Friars and the Phils were Wild Card entrants last season and knocked off the presumptive favorites, the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Wild Card teams, some of who have yet to play in front of their home fans, go on the road for the first two games of the LCS to a team that is well-rested and able to set their starting rotation accordingly.
While the opposition has had plenty of time to give their stars rest, the Wild Card teams have had to fight a claw to the finish line and may even be sending out their No. 3 or No. 4 starter to face the opposing team's ace in Game 1.
But, is that rest a good thing? Many who've played the sport before will tell you that baseball is all about rythmn. While it may behoove the top team in the NFL Playoffs to give their starters a week off, it's different in baseball. When players are used to taking the field every day, it's tough to sit and watch for a week.
But let's get back to the question at hand. Do the Wild Card teams get an unfair advantage? No. The Texas Rangers have yet to play a game at home this postseason. Neither have the Arizona Diamondbacks.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required), the Braves, Dodgers, and Orioles all played simulated games in front of fans in an effort to keep those competitive juices flowing and stay sharp.
Look, teams get some time midway through the season at the All-Star break. Provided you don't participate in the festivities, players get four days off for the Midsummer Classic.
While the results on the field may not be what those higher seeded teams want to see, there's a simple solution: play better. The Orioles scored eight runs on Sunday but walked 11 batters. The Braves played bad defense and wasted a tremendous effort from Spencer Strider. And Clayton Kershaw just got shellacked in Game 1.
This is a question that pops up in sports all the time. Rest versus rust, right? We see it in the NBA Playoffs and the NFL Postseason. While baseball is a different animal, if you asked almost any manager whether they'd want to play in the Wild Card Series or get five days off, all 30 would take the rest.
