{
  "id": 8945016,
  "title": "MLB’s Fixed Bracket Could Punish the AL’s Best Teams",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/mlbs-fixed-bracket-could-punish-the-als-best-teams",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-21T14:58:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Front Office Sports",
    "slug": "front-office-sports",
    "url": "https://frontofficesports.com/article/mlb-fixed-bracket-punish-al-best-teams/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The American League's playoff format, implemented in 2022, gives the top three seeds in each league to division winners, aiming to reward excellence over the six-month regular season. However, this year, the three best teams in the AL - the Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox - are set to face off against each other in the first two rounds of the postseason, while a lower-ranked team will have a more favorable path to the AL Championship Series. This unusual state of affairs in the 2026 season has sparked controversy, with some, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, questioning the fairness of the current playoff structure. The current 12-team format has faced criticism before, with top teams in the NL complaining about gathering rust during the Wild Card round and three 100-win teams being quickly eliminated in 2023. Changes to the playoff format are a subject of ongoing labor negotiations between MLB and the MLB Players Association, with a management lockout expected when the current deal expires on December 1.",
  "summary": "The league’s postseason format is generating a fresh round of controversy.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}