MLB Proposes 154-Game Regular Season, New Playoff Bracket Format amid CBA Talks with MLBPA

As the MLB playoffs continue, the league has announced new elements of its proposal amid the ongoing collective bargaining talks with the MLB Players Association.

MLB's latest proposal includes implementing a 154-game regular season and expanding the Division Series round of the playoffs to a best-of-seven format.

Those changes, if approved, would go into effect in 2029. Another part of the proposal starting with the 2027 season would be to allow the higher-seeded clubs in the Wild Card and Division Series rounds to pick their opponents.

The MLBPA said in a statement on Thursday that it "will weigh in on these proposals and we will respond at the bargaining table." Of note, the players' union said the new proposal remains "contingent on players' agreement to a salary cap."

MLB has taken the unusual step of publicizing its various proposals to the union as the two sides continue to talk about a new CBA with the current one set to expire on Dec. 1.

Previous proposals made by the league include setting a weekly 26-man roster, with exceptions for things like injuries and transactions; and limiting the free-agency period to start on the Monday during the winter meetings through Dec. 21 to encourage more activity.

In June, MLB proposed an increase in the minimum salary, eliminating the qualifying offer system and reducing service time required to hit free agency from six years to five years.

Of course, the biggest potential hurdle facing the negotiations is a salary cap. The league has presented a cap proposal that would also include a salary floor and a 50-50 revenue split between the owners and players.

Players largely seem to be against any sort of cap system.

This latest proposal would have significant financial ramifications for MLB and the MLBPA. Even though it involves fewer regular-season games for all 30 teams, more playoff games would seemingly offset those losses.

Since the wild-card era began in 1995, the division series has always been a best-of-five. The 162-game regular season has been in place leaguewide since 1962.

The AL went to a 162-game season in 1961 after expanding from eight to 10 teams. The NL followed the next year after the New York Mets and Houston Colt .45s joined.