I don't like that now there is a potential for a divisional series where the wild card plays their divisions regular season winner. Even worse is the fact that the Brewers and Cubs just played a tiebreaker today and they may be playing each other again in a few days. How does that make for an interesting series?
The tiebreaker is no different than if those team were schedule for the last day of the season. Essentially the tie breaker is game 163. It doesn't bother me, I wouldn't mind seeing the Cubs match up against the Brewers again for instance.
Tiebreaker isn't my issue. My issue is that when the wildcard was first introduced, MLB actually made an effort to prevent teams from the same division from playing each other during the first round. Now with the play in wildcard game they aren't. Cubs and Brewers played each other 20 times this season already, why not make them win their first round series before they face each other again?
I'm glad the Braves are starting on the road, they had one of the better road records in the National League. They'll probably still lose to the Dodgers (they were terrible against the NL West) but they played better away from their fancy stadium. Either way they made the playoffs a year before the pundits expected so it's house money now for the Braves.
Ya think?
Hell with that. Winning the division is important. Keep it that way. Don't cheapen the playoffs.