Bryce Harper explains how Phillies layoff will actually help against team-of-destiny Mets

The start of another MLB postseason can only mean one thing: another round of (wildly misguided) discourse about the new playoff format, and specifically whether the week-long layoff between the end of the regular season and the start of the Divisional Round actually helps or hurts the top two seeds in each league. You'd think that getting an extra week to get healthy and line up your pitching staff would be unequivocally beneficial, but other teams haven't been so sure: Just last year, for example, Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker blamed rust for his team's NLDS flameout against the Philadelphia Phillies. (Of course, Snitker's Braves had the privilege of playing in the Wild Card Round this season and promptly lost anyway.)

One of the game's biggest stars, however, isn't having any of that. Bryce Harper and the Phillies have been relaxing and preparing at home since wrapping up the No. 2 seed in the NL last week, and Harper says he wouldn't have it any other way.

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Bryce Harper thinks week-long layoff will help Phillies in NLDS

Harper was asked about the layoff issue during a press conference ahead of NLDS Game 1 between the Phillies and Mets on Saturday, and he didn't hesitate in throwing his support behind an extra week of rest. According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Harper credited the break with helping he and his teammates get over the physical wear and tear of a long regular season.

Which, of course, makes all the sense in the world. Ask the Phillies if they'd want to trade places with, say, the Braves — who had to fly cross-country to San Diego and start young righty AJ Smith-Shawver in Game 1 with Spencer Schwellenbach unavailable — and the answer would be "absolutely not". Sure, maybe there's something to having to ramp back up to postseason intensity. But teams are getting better and better at staging midweek scrimmages to simulate that speed and crowd noise, and more importantly, there's also something to getting healthy and being able to throw your best starters out there in order in the Divisional Round.

If Harper and the Phillies get upset in the NLDS this week, it won't be because of a week off. It will be because they didn't play their best baseball at the most important time, and because New York has clearly made some sort of deal with the devil.