Relegate the AL West: Why MLB's worst division ever should force playoff format change

The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are tied in the standings, 79-81, entering the final weekend of the MLB regular season. The winner of the division will become the first division champ in MLB history to not post a winning record.

That ... is less than ideal. And it means a .500 or sub-.500 baseball team will host a Wild Card series against an opponent with a better record. That feels backward, no? That's because it is. The AL West should force a reckoning in the league office, especially as CBA negotiations prepare to kick off this winter.

MLB needs to change its postseason format

MLB's postseason format has come under fire in the past; this is hardly the first time a division winner has felt undeserving of home-field advantage in Round 1. That said, never has the advantage been so disproportionate to the accomplishment. What are we doing here, truly? The Astros and Rangers are mediocre teams at best this season. Houston's pitching staff is a dumpster fire. Texas' lineup phases in and out of consciousness. Neither team should host a series.

The postseason is steeped in tradition, of course, so there will be resistance to major change. Alas, it's time for MLB to modernize — and to catch up to the other major American sports leagues.

The NBA sets the standard, in this respect. Their format sees the top eight seeds in each conference, regardless of division, ordered by record. The NFL aligns more closely with MLB, as division champs earn a top seed and home field or a bye in Round 1. Even the NFL is ahead of MLB on the curve, however. At least the former reseeds after the Wild Card round, ensuring that top seeds aren't dealt an unlucky hand.

In baseball this season, the No. 1 seed Rays will face the winner of No. 4 New York and No. 5 Boston in the second round. The No. 2 seed Guardians (or White Sox) will, somehow, face the winner of No. 3 Houston (or Texas) versus No. 6 Chicago (or Cleveland).

The Yankees and Red Sox own the second- and third-best record in the American League, respectively. The Astros and White Sox currently own the two worst records, but would not face the top seed if either advances. It's hard not to get upset at the whole conceit. What are we doing here?

MLB should adopt an NBA-style postseason

Not to get too galaxy-brained, but it feels all the major sports leagues can learn some from their counterparts. MLB and NFL should strip the meaning from a division crown. It's a nice regular season marker, but it is not an inherent indicator of quality relative to second- or third-place teams in other (potentially better) divisions.

At least in the NFL, division teams play each other more than anybody else, and teams will go entire regular seasons without playing each other. The MLB schedule stacks division matchups, but everybody plays everybody. There's not much separation between the AL West and the AL East, or even the NL East. And a strong division record (lookin' at you, Houston) does not carry much weight when the entire division is subpar. The Astros (or Rangers) are about to get extra credit for beating up on the softest portion of their respective schedules, effectively.

MLB should order the six seeds in both leagues by record, nothing else. MLB should probably embrace the NFL's reseeding policy, too. The NFL should also do away with division champs in higher seeds (see: NFC South), while the NBA would do well to start reseeding in the second round and beyond, too. Every league has room to improve, but MLB's format feels the most egregious right now. The AL West is uniquely horrific; this is a fluke more so than a standard outcome. Still, the MLB needs to hedge against such flukes and smooth out the process moving forward.

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