With playoff baseball quickly approaching and the standings practically full, this seems like time to level out a flaw within the new six-team format (apart from growing the variety of video games per spherical). In the event you’re going handy out first-round byes, give them to the 2 greatest groups in every league.
Proper now, the Houston Astros are poised to waltz into the second spherical regardless of trailing Tampa Bay and Baltimore by 8.5 video games. The Rays and Orioles are deadlocked in a battle for the AL East crown, however the larger motivation for these two golf equipment is the No. 1 seed, as a result of the loser is busted right down to the No. 3 spot and an extra spherical of baseball.
My pondering is in the identical vein as what the NBA did with its divisions. Till just lately, their division winners robotically occupied the highest 4 seeds, so when the Southwest was stacked solely one among Dallas, San Antonio, Memphis, Houston, and many others. would get house courtroom within the first spherical. After a slight tweak, the division winners don’t matter, and it’s seeded strictly by document, as a result of near half of the NBA makes the postseason, and its common season actually is pointless.
Nevertheless, in MLB, divisions would nonetheless matter, as I’m not saying seed the bracket by greatest document. The AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins have the seventh-best mark within the AL, and if I needed to be a righteous nihilist about it, I’d suggest correcting that, too.
Seeing as I’m not Karl Hungus, I agree divisions imply one thing as a result of baseball followers worship issues like dust, and divisions are undoubtedly on that sentimental record. Merely give the second-best membership — no matter if it received the division — a bye.
The Rays and Orioles are assured a playoff spot, so neither would oust a deserving group. On this situation, the Astros nonetheless get home-field benefit, however they aren’t two sequence away from the World Sequence. I do know Yankee followers, and baseball followers typically, would recognize a harder path for the ‘Stros, and I believe AL East supporters would even admit that Baltimore followers not less than deserve a bye.
There’s at all times this emphasis on preserving the meaningfulness of baseball’s grueling 162-game schedule, and my repair is within the spirit of that nonetheless nonsensical all of this will appear even by baseball argument requirements.
The opposite actuality of what I’m suggesting is it will inevitably profit top-heavy divisions just like the AL East, and NL West, and if I’ll enchantment to Rob Manfred for a second, don’t you need higher probabilities of the Pink Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, or Giants making the World Sequence?
Maybe if the league workplace was targeted on perfecting its new playoff system, and not debuting a digital ballpark, they’d’ve been slightly faster on the uptake. However, no, by all means, Rob, go play trivia on a headset and promote something however watching the video games.
Sorry, that’s a tangent for a future article. Again to tearing Manfred for the playoff system. Really, I believe I wrung the vitriol out of that rag, so, umm, yeah, suck it, Rob.
Alabama turning to Tyler Buchner
Notre Dame switch Tyler Buchner is taking up the reins of the Crimson Tides offense, and Jalen Milroe is again to holding a clipboard. Nick Saban’s leash is as quick as his mood, and he’s onto Plan B, which is pairing Buchner with new offensive coordinator Tommy Reese, who additionally came to visit from South Bend.
One of the crucial fascinating features of the switch portal is the QB carousel. We find out about gamers like Sam Hartman who upgraded to the Irish, however Notre Dame was actually excessive on Buchner earlier than his 2022 season was disrupted by harm. It is a massive spot on a proficient roster, and most of those school quarterbacks are so younger {that a} tweak in teaching or system might unlock the sport for them.
My guess is Buchner does a ok job that Milroe turns into a free agent after the season, and there’s completely a coach on the market salivating at his ability set, and higher geared up to maximise it.
