In the same WFAN interview where MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred outlined realignment and broader schedule tweaks, he detailed discussions on an in-season tournament like the NBA Cup. The idea could split the season or cut regular-season games but grapples with baseball's logistical, traditional, and statistical challenges.
Manfred has long eyed changes to MLB's 162-game schedule, set since 1962, which shapes rosters, salaries, and historic records. The proposed tournament mirrors the NBA Cup's 2023 format: a round-robin phase into an eight-team knockout, with most games counting toward standings and make-up games for balance.
For MLB, concepts include using potential 32-team expansion for eight four-team divisions and a divisional play-in. Baseball's series format complicates timing, possibly around the All-Star break. As Manfred indicated, such events often lead to fewer regular-season games.
Players like Anthony Rendon have pushed for shortening the season, quipping in 2024, “We gotta shorten this bad boy up.” Yet cuts risk revenue, salaries, and roster spots, potentially eroding the sport's appeal. NBA-style prizes ($530,933 per player for winners) and sponsorships appeal, especially with MLB's TV deals expiring post-2028. However, MLBPA head Tony Clark deems it “a self-defeating calculation of massive proportions.” Past changes, like 12-team playoffs after the 2021 lockout, show revenue can spur evolution.
Challenges include baseball's season-long stats, vital for feats like Cal Raleigh's home-run chase or Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 season. Unlike NBA tanking, MLB playoffs reward every game. Innovations like pitch clocks and shift bans proved skeptics wrong, hinting an in-season tournament could integrate, though it might alter core traditions.
