Major League Baseball has proposed shortening its regular season to 154 games starting in 2029 and expanding the division series to a best-of-seven format, as part of negotiations with the MLB Players Association over a new collective bargaining agreement.
MLB also wants to allow higher-seeded teams to choose their playoff opponents in both the wild-card and division series rounds. The 154-game schedule would return MLB to its pre-1960 format. "Returning to a 154-game schedule would allow us to introduce a weekly off day, which is good for player health, while also creating a new national broadcast window," MLB spokesperson Glen Caplin said.
Under the proposal, the No. 3 seed in each league would select whether to face the No. 5 or 6 seed in the wild-card round, while the No. 1 seed would choose which wild-card winner to play in the division series. The wild-card round would remain a best-of-three.
The MLBPA stated that any changes are contingent on players' agreement to a salary cap, which the union has resisted. "Unfortunately, the league once again made clear that all of its proposals are contingent on players' agreement to a salary cap," the union said. Negotiations remain stalled on larger economic issues.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing