Baseball’s next round of labor fights could hand the Royals a very real edge before the offseason chaos even settles in.
Among the rule changes MLB has reportedly put on the table is a tweak to the playoff format that would let the No. 3 seed in each league choose its Wild Card opponent. Right now, the bracket is locked in: No. 3 plays No. 6, and No. 4 plays No.
- Under the proposal, that setup would no longer be automatic.
For the Royals, and for the rest of the AL Central, that matters.
Since MLB expanded to 12 playoff teams in 2022, an AL Central club has never been the No. 1 seed. The last time that division produced the top seed was the 2017 Cleveland Guardians. More often than not, the division has been landing in the No. 3 spot, and that’s where this proposal starts to look useful.
Three times out of five since the expansion, an AL Central team has been the No. 3 seed. In two of those five seasons, the third Wild Card team actually had a better record than the No. 3 seed. That’s the kind of setup that has chipped away at the reward for winning the division.
The old system used to give the third division winner a built-in break. That team would skip the Wild Card round entirely and jump straight into the divisional round against the No. 2 seed. Now, that same division winner has to survive an extra round first, and even home-field advantage only softens the blow so much.
That’s why the new idea stands out. If the Royals win the AL Central and land as the No. 3 seed, they’d get to choose who they play.
If they finish No. 1 or No. 2, they’d still get the bye into the divisional round. Either way, the AL Central has every reason to push hard for this one in negotiations.
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