The Cubs, Cardinals, and Pirates have clinched it. No matter what happens on the final day of the season, they will have the best three records in baseball. That much has been decided by the grind of the previous 161 games. What has also been decided is the brevity of their postseason existence. After the first playoff series, two of the top three records in baseball will be eliminated . . . golfing . . . barbecuing in October. It hardly seems fair in a sport where A) they play nothing but series all season long, B) the World Series used to be decided in a best-of-nine contest, and C) one game is far too small a sample to determine the better team, that two teams per league are subject to a one-game playoff to determine their fate.
Why MLB’s Wild Card System Is Far From Broken
