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If I've heard it once I've heard it 1,000 times this year. "Creating the 2nd Wildcard team and changing the playoff format is the best thing MLB has done in 50 years". Five weeks to go in the regular season. 8 A.L. teams within 3 games of the wild card. 5 N.L. teams within 5 games of the wild card. On the other hand, four division leaders are a lock (or close) but the A.L. East and N.L. Central are yet to be decided.

Since the allstar break the Astros, American League darlings in the first half are 18-22 and the Dodgers are 30-8. Talk about a contrast. It's going to be a very interesting finish.

[snackdaddy]

I suppose there is never a perfect scenario. The wild card can be frustrating. Lets say two teams like the D-Backs and Rockies have the 3rd and 4th best regular season records but they're in a division where the front runner is running away with it. They end up playing each other in a one and done game. One team goes home while another in a weaker division and worse record gets to play in a series.

Also, the one and done thing bothers me. The worst team can beat the best team once in a 3 or 4 game series most times. The best team doesn't always advance when its one game take all.

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Lets say two teams like the D-Backs and Rockies have the 3rd and 4th best regular season records but they're in a division where the front runner is running away with it. They end up playing each other in a one and done game. One team goes home while another in a weaker division and worse record gets to play in a series.

Also, the one and done thing bothers me. The worst team can beat the best team once in a 3 or 4 game series most times. The best team doesn't always advance when its one game take all.

Well it can be frustrating. But are the Rockies (72-64) and D'Backs (79-58) so much better than the defending Champion Cubs (75-61) and Nats (82-54), who've been to the postseason 3 of the last 6 seasons? Right now the Rockies have a 0.5 game lead over the Brewers for the 2nd wild card, so IMHO, it's a mute point. The one and done thing only bothers me when my team is one and done! It does make teams fight to the end.

Look at Minnesota this year. They buy, then they sell after a losing streak and now they're probably wishing they didn't sell. The Yankees are pulling out all the stops to fight for the division title forcing Boston to do the same. The Angels, Orioles, Mariners, Rangers, Royals and Rays are all within 4 games of the 2nd wild card. That's 9 teams, if you include both the Yankees and Red Sox, fighting to either keep from falling into the wild card game or climbing into it. And because it's a 5th playoff team, one and done seems fair. But it's really not about the "5th team". Instead it's about not dropping into that 4th team slot, where a team who wouldn't have been in the playoffs six years ago could knock you out in a one and done.

On the A.L. East, which has become one of two division battles in baseball with a month left to play. Who does Boston start in a wild card game? Sale? Pomeranz? Price? My money is on Price. Sale has never pitched in the postseason and his record from August 1st on the last 3 years is un-Sale-like. But if they get past the wild card game with Price, what happens? Sale is 15-3 against every team not named the Indians or Yankees this year and he's 0-4 in 7 starts vs them. Worse, Boston is 2-5 in those games. And he hasn't faced Houston at all.

Pomeranz pitched in 2postseason games last year for the Sox. He did well in his first appearance but gave up 2 runs in relief in game 3, a game the Sox lost 4-3 eliminating them. Bucholz got the loss but Pomeranz gave up the runs that beat them. The Red Sox need to win the division so they can start Price, if he's healthy, in game one of the 5 game series. That's why the wild card situation is so interesting and puts a premium on winning your division.