2026 MLB Thread

[MuggsyB]

I have never liked the WC but get it from a $ standpoint.  I would change it and also the Division Series.  The WC should be best of 5, but with all 5 games at the higher seed's park.  The Division Series should definitely be best of 7. 

[The Sultan]

I have never liked the WC but get it from a $ standpoint.  I would change it and also the Division Series.  The WC should be best of 5, but with all 5 games at the higher seed's park.  The Division Series should definitely be best of 7. 

You already have teams sitting a week. Sitting a week and a half would be problematic. Furthermore you can already run into bad weather toward the end of the playoffs in northern cities. No need to extend that further.

Ideally you would end the season right around Labor Day, but that's never going to happen either.

[MU82]

Maybe make the WC round best-of-9, all at the better team's park. Then have the next round best-of-13. An Xmas World Series would be fun, and there's no way it would tax any team's pitching.

[MuggsyB]

Maybe make the WC round best-of-9, all at the better team's park. Then have the next round best-of-13. An Xmas World Series would be fun, and there's no way it would tax any team's pitching.

I will not forget you mocked me.  And in essence the entire DDF.  I would tread very, very, lightly if was in your position. 

[WhiteTrash]

Maybe make the WC round best-of-9, all at the better team's park. Then have the next round best-of-13. An Xmas World Series would be fun, and there's no way it would tax any team's pitching.

The NFL is taking Christmas Day from the NBA, MLB should one up the NFL. Also, the Final Four should be a 4th of July tradition.

[Jockey]

All-time season by Miz. Probably one of the 5 greatest ever. Compares favorably to Pedro back about 25 years ago.

[MuggsyB]

All-time season by Miz. Probably one of the 5 greatest ever. Compares favorably to Pedro back about 25 years ago.

What about Sandy Koufax?

[Jockey]

What about Sandy Koufax?

'63 would be a top 5 season even though he had the benefit of a higher pitching mound.

[Uncle Rico]

What about Sandy Koufax?

Koufax was overrated

[MuggsyB]

'63 would be a top 5 season even though he had the benefit of a higher pitching mound.

They also pitched complete games in that era.  But the mound height is fair to point out. 

[GB Warrior]

They also pitched complete games in that era.  But the mound height is fair to point out. 

The mound was 1 Muggsy taller back then

[The Sultan]

Koufax was overrated

He was banging Nancy Pelosi at the time. Strange how no one talks about that.

[Shaka Shart]

All-time season by Miz. Probably one of the 5 greatest ever. Compares favorably to Pedro back about 25 years ago.

Recently? Yes. Top 5 ever? Let's calm down over there.

[CreightonWarrior]

The mound was 1 Muggsy taller back then

doesnt seem very impactful.

[MuggsyB]

doesnt seem very impactful.

One of these days we will have a Gulliver/Lilliputian situation.  The breadth of it will be not be one giant  residing near a small amount of land,  but  include those that have mocked, bessmirched, or disparaged our smaller citizens.  There will be nowhere to run, hide, or find a scintilla of safety.  The measures taken, will make the movie Taken, seem like an episode of Seasame Street. 

[Jockey]

Recently? Yes. Top 5 ever? Let's calm down over there.

Ever.

[Shaka Shart]

Ever.

Surely he led in pitching WAR then

[Shaka Shart]

One of these days we will have a Gulliver/Lilliputian situation.  The breadth of it will be not be one giant  residing near a small amount of land,  but  include those that have mocked, bessmirched, or disparaged our smaller citizens.  There will be nowhere to run, hide, or find a scintilla of safety.  The measures taken, will make the movie Taken, seem like an episode of Seasame Street. 

Sounds like there's another house fly stuck in the blinds

[CreightonWarrior]

One of these days we will have a Gulliver/Lilliputian situation.  The breadth of it will be not be one giant  residing near a small amount of land,  but  include those that have mocked, bessmirched, or disparaged our smaller citizens.  There will be nowhere to run, hide, or find a scintilla of safety.  The measures taken, will make the movie Taken, seem like an episode of Seasame Street. 

I can just hide up high.

[Jockey]

Surely he led in pitching WAR then

Mea culpa.

Obviously the guy with the higher ERA (by over a run), and the guy whose WHIP is substantially higher, and the guy who gives up more hits is better.

And Don Mattingly should be Manager of the year as well.

[Shaka Shart]

Mea culpa.

Obviously the guy with the higher ERA (by over a run), and the guy whose WHIP is substantially higher, and the guy who gives up more hits is better.

And Don Mattingly should be Manager of the year as well.

Rock bottom BABIP (elite defensive support), massively high strikeout rates league wide vs rest of modern era, pitched 42 less innings than 2000 Pedro. 

If you adjust for these factors he benefits massively from lower volume.

Best pitcher in baseball? Yes. and top 25 season? Sure I can buy it. But you're comparing with a massive handicap of season long arm fatigue for everyone else.

Just like all modern basketball records suffer from load management impacts, Miz does too.

[Jockey]

Rock bottom BABIP (elite defensive support), massively high strikeout rates league wide vs rest of modern era, pitched 42 less innings than 2000 Pedro. 

If you adjust for these factors he benefits massively from lower volume.

Best pitcher in baseball? Yes. and top 25 season? Sure I can buy it. But you're comparing with a massive handicap of season long arm fatigue for everyone else.

Just like all modern basketball records suffer from load management impacts, Miz does too.

The BABIP stat is bogus in this case. Yes the Brewers obviously have a better defense,  but BABIP will always be higher for a pitcher that gives up harder contact. Nobody could square up up against Miz - he gave up only 24 extra base hits all year.


Not to mention he obliterated the record for lowest BA allowed ever.

[MU82]

From The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal:

MLB's message on the new CBA won't change, even if the Rays or Brewers win the whole thing. ... Here's the thing about all the agita related to the Dodgers, competitive balance and the 2026 postseason: No outcome this October will change the calculus for the owners.

Even if the small-market Brewers, Rays or Guardians win the World Series, the league will continue its push for a salary cap, contending the sport lacks sufficient parity and is effectively broken.

Not all that long ago, the league was making precisely the opposite argument. Its public-relations department, in news releases prior to the 2021 and 2022 seasons, described competitive balance as a "hallmark" of MLB.

Let's be clear: Revenue disparity between large- and small-market clubs is a legitimate concern. The league and players' union need to adopt significant measures to make the playing field more level. But the league's argument for greater competitive balance, if not a red herring, is at least an argument of convenience. And not a particularly strong one, if you watched the regular season.

The Brewers finished with the best record in the National League. The Rays produced the best record in the American League. And the Guardians became the third small-market team to earn one of four first-round byes. Perhaps the Guardians were undeserving, considering their record was only the 11th-best in the majors. But by finishing with the second-best mark among AL division winners, they clinched the bye under the postseason format the league and union created.

So, is the sport really that far gone?

The league's news release in '22 noted that MLB produced 15 different World Series champions in the prior 21 seasons. The Rangers in 2023 made it 16. And prior to the 2024 World Series, commissioner Rob Manfred told The Athletic, "our record on competitive balance is darn good."

Just two years later, to hear commissioner Manfred and company tell it, the sport is in the midst of an existential crisis. All because the league's highest-revenue team, the Dodgers, won back-to-back World Series. All because the owners want to build their case for a cap.

[MU82]

In the day's least-surprising news, the Mariners fired Dan Wilson.

I'm pretty pissed. MLB history is filled with teams getting a spark by firing the manager in-season. The Mariners might have been able to prevent this total train wreck if they had canned Wilson on, say, Aug. 12, when they lost their 6th straight game to fall 9 games under .500 after leading the weak-azz division for most of the season. But instead, they just let the crud continue unabated. Might not have made a shred of difference, but we'll never know.

[wadesworld]

From The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal:

MLB's message on the new CBA won't change, even if the Rays or Brewers win the whole thing. ... Here's the thing about all the agita related to the Dodgers, competitive balance and the 2026 postseason: No outcome this October will change the calculus for the owners.

Even if the small-market Brewers, Rays or Guardians win the World Series, the league will continue its push for a salary cap, contending the sport lacks sufficient parity and is effectively broken.

Not all that long ago, the league was making precisely the opposite argument. Its public-relations department, in news releases prior to the 2021 and 2022 seasons, described competitive balance as a "hallmark" of MLB.

Let's be clear: Revenue disparity between large- and small-market clubs is a legitimate concern. The league and players' union need to adopt significant measures to make the playing field more level. But the league's argument for greater competitive balance, if not a red herring, is at least an argument of convenience. And not a particularly strong one, if you watched the regular season.

The Brewers finished with the best record in the National League. The Rays produced the best record in the American League. And the Guardians became the third small-market team to earn one of four first-round byes. Perhaps the Guardians were undeserving, considering their record was only the 11th-best in the majors. But by finishing with the second-best mark among AL division winners, they clinched the bye under the postseason format the league and union created.

So, is the sport really that far gone?

The league's news release in '22 noted that MLB produced 15 different World Series champions in the prior 21 seasons. The Rangers in 2023 made it 16. And prior to the 2024 World Series, commissioner Rob Manfred told The Athletic, "our record on competitive balance is darn good."

Just two years later, to hear commissioner Manfred and company tell it, the sport is in the midst of an existential crisis. All because the league's highest-revenue team, the Dodgers, won back-to-back World Series. All because the owners want to build their case for a cap.

If the overwhelming betting favorites live up to the billing this year, the Dodgers will have won 4 of the last 7 WS titles and will go into next season as the far and away favorites to win their 5th in 8 years.