Baseball Fans Slam Dumbest New MLB Proposal

Major League Baseball owners are proposing sweeping changes to the sport, including cutting the regular season from 162 to 154 games and allowing playoff teams to choose their opponents. The proposals come as MLB and its players' union approach another potentially contentious labor showdown, with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire December 1.

The proposals were submitted Thursday to the Major League Baseball Players Association MLBPA , and MLB later shared details on social media. While fans have responded favorably to some of the suggested changes, one playoff proposal has already drawn considerable criticism.

Under the owners' plan, the regular season would shrink by eight games beginning in 2029, coinciding with MLB's next national media agreement. The league argues that the shorter schedule would provide players with a standard day off each week, addressing concerns about the physical demands of baseball's lengthy season.

The reduced schedule would also create room to expand the Division Series from its current best-of-five format to a best-of-seven competition. That change, also targeted for 2029, would require teams to win four games, not three, to advance to the League Championship Series.

MLB Fans Blast Controversial Playoff Opponent Selection Proposal

However, the proposal generating the strongest reaction involves a more immediate postseason change.

Owners want higher-seeded playoff teams to select their opponents in both the Wild Card and Division Series, potentially beginning in 2027. The change would replace the current system of predetermined matchups with one that gives successful regular-season teams greater control over their postseason paths.

Fans wasted little time expressing their displeasure.

"The dumbest thing I have ever heard," one fan wrote on X. "Pick your opponent in WC round?????…….NO!"

"Opponents shouldn't get to choose opponents," another added. "Get that all the way out of here."

A third fan offered an even more colorful assessment, questioning the entire concept of opponent selection with an expletive-filled response.

MLB currently uses a 12-team postseason format with fixed seeding. Unlike the NFL, which adjusts matchups after its Wild Card round, baseball does not reseed teams based on which clubs advance. The proposed system would go much further by letting qualifying teams make their own selections.

Shorter MLB Season Raises Questions About Baseball's Historic Records

Reaction to the shorter regular season was noticeably less hostile.

"I agree with everything but the pick the opponent thing," one fan wrote.

Another fan used the proposal to poke fun at the Chicago Cubs and their supporters.

"Cutting it to 154 games is the first MLB proposal Cubs fans fully support," the fan joked. "8 fewer games to sit through before they miss October anyway."

A 154-game schedule would not be entirely unfamiliar to baseball historians. The American League last played that many games in 1960, while the National League kept the format through 1961. Both leagues later adopted the 162-game schedule that remains today.

However, returning to the shorter format would raise questions about statistical comparisons between eras.

"154 has been coming for a while, but it does affect record books," one fan observed, then asked whether records set during the 162-game era would need asterisks.

Reducing the schedule by eight games would also mean fewer chances for players to rack up home runs, hits, strikeouts, and other counting stats in a single season. That distinction could matter most when comparing modern performances with longstanding records.

Despite the attention surrounding scheduling and postseason changes, neither issue is expected to be the central obstacle in negotiations between owners and players.

Trump Backs MLB Salary Cap as Threat of Another Lockout Grows

MLB owners have sought a salary cap for decades, while the players' union has historically resisted efforts to establish one. The disagreement has previously contributed to one of the most damaging labor disputes in baseball history.

The 1994 players' strike canceled the World Series, the first time the championship had not been played since 1904. Owners then tried to prepare for the 1995 season with replacement players, but they eventually reached an agreement without a salary cap.

Since that confrontation, owners and players have negotiated five collective bargaining agreements, including their most recent deal in 2022.

This time, owners have a prominent supporter in President Donald Trump, who has publicly endorsed bringing a salary cap to Major League Baseball.

"If you don't have a salary cap, you don't have a sport, because they can't help themselves," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One in June.

"Football has a salary cap. The MLB should have done it a long time ago."

Trump also criticized baseball for failing to establish a cap during previous labor negotiations.

"It's shocking, frankly, that they didn't put a cap on many years ago," he said. "They had a chance to do a cap, but they blew it."

The president said he remains open to helping mediate negotiations between owners and players, though he has not announced any formal intervention.

With the current agreement expiring December 1, another lockout remains a significant concern. Owners are expected to impose one if the two sides fail to reach a new agreement, potentially putting preparations for the 2027 season at risk.

The MLBPA did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment on the latest proposals.

For now, the league's proposed changes remain just that: proposals. Owners cannot unilaterally establish a new collectively bargained schedule or postseason structure without resolving the relevant negotiations with the players' union.

The immediate question is whether the two sides can agree before the current labor deal expires. Baseball fans may debate whether 154 games are better than 162, but another dispute over a salary cap could determine whether the 2027 season begins on time.