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Major League Baseball has proposed shortening its regular season from 162 games to 154 games starting in 2029, while also expanding the division series to a best-of-seven format. The proposals came Thursday (October 8) as part of ongoing negotiations with the MLB Players Association over a new collective bargaining agreement.
Under the proposal, MLB also wants to allow higher-seeded teams to choose their opponents in both the wild-card and division series rounds of the playoffs. The division winner with the second-best record would choose its opponent from among the three lowest-seeded wild-card teams, while the division winner with the third-best record would then pick from the remaining two wild cards.
The 154-game schedule would mark a significant departure from the 162-game format that has been in place since 1961 for the American League and 1962 for the National League. Baseball played 154-game seasons from 1904 through 1960. The shorter season would presumably reduce wear and tear on players while potentially creating more competitive balance throughout the schedule.
The proposal to expand the division series from best-of-five to best-of-seven comes as MLB continues its push for an expanded playoff format. MLB has previously proposed expanding the postseason from 10 to 14 teams, with wild cards increasing from two per league to four. The Players Association has countered with a 12-team expanded playoff format.
Other key bargaining topics between MLB and the MLBPA include free agency, salary arbitration, a pre-arbitration bonus pool, luxury tax thresholds, and the minimum salary. Previous negotiations have shown significant gaps between the two sides on economic issues, particularly regarding competitive balance tax thresholds.