NESN’s Tom Caron On Oddball Playoff Format

Do you realize how vastly different the brand new Major League Baseball Playoff format is? Our Boston Sports Insider TC really did a great job explaining it here.

It's really not that complicated. There will be eight teams from each league.

 

The three division winners get in automatically, and then the three second place teams get in automatically, so that's six teams.

 

The final two, are the next two best records. It is possible to get four teams in from one division, but it's not likely.

- Tom Caron on MLB's 2020 Playoff Format

I have to think that any team would have to have a complete disaster of a start to be mathematically eliminated in early September, there's just no way that's going to happen.

I was watching TC the other night on the NESN pregame and he said that every victory is equivalent to 2.7 wins over the course of a 162 game season. As this season draws closer with every hour, I get more and more excited about the Sox' chances of post season play.

They're starting with the Orioles and the Mets who are pretty awful. If they win just 5 games in a row? That would be like winning FOURTEEN games in a row!

With this new 8 team format, they'd really have to bottom out to not be in contention down the stretch.

Last year's team was so bad AND slow AND frustrating that I think people are underestimating them. Mark my words, this oddball season will be one to remember!