MLB playoff format is flawed & needs to be fixed immediately

The MLB playoff format, while expanding the postseason, has a glaring flaw that needs immediate attention. The issue lies not in who earns a spot but in how teams are seeded once they reach the playoffs. In 2026, this flaw was vividly exposed in the AL East, where multiple teams outperformed the eventual champion in terms of record.

Division winners should receive playoff berths, but the current system allows a mediocre division champion to secure a higher seed than a significantly better Wild Card team, which is unjust. This creates a situation where a team winning a weak division can leapfrog over superior teams, which undermines competitive balance. The solution is simple: seed the playoff teams based on overall record.

If a team finishes with the best record, it should be No. 1, regardless of whether it won its division or not. This system would reward true excellence without penalizing superior teams for winning a weaker division. The current format, which gives byes to division winners and potentially higher seeds to mediocre ones, is flawed and should be revised immediately.