Report: Expanded MLB Playoff System Would Allow Top Seeds to Pick Opponent

A new change to Major League Baseball's postseason could create some new rivalries and added tension across the sport this fall.

The league is considering an option where division winners pick their first-round opponents in a 16-team playoff, per ESPN's Buster Olney.

Picks would be made based on seeding and unveiled during a selection show. 

MLB Network's Jon Heyman first reported MLB and the Players' Association had "re-engaged" on expanding the postseason in 2020 on Wednesday with optimism an agreement could be reached to grow from 10 to 16 teams. 

Yet the clock on such a deal is barreling towards its deadline with the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees slated to open the season at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday. Any proposed deal would need to be ratified before then. 

It's unclear just how the selection process would play out in real time, but MLB and the union broached this idea back in February with a slightly convoluted scenario, per ESPN:

"The division winner with the second-best record would select its wild-card opponent from the three wild-card winners not hosting a series.

"The division winner with the worst record would then choose its opponent from the remaining two wild-card teams.

"The final matchup would pit the wild-card winner with the best record against the wild-card team not yet chosen."

A live selection show was also discussed at the time.

The risks and rewards of choosing a playoff opponent are certainly fascinating and would lead to a number of strategic options. 

Would a front office allow its roster to decide which team it wants to face in an elimination series? Or would teams rely on analytics to pick the most favorable opponent? Could selecting a team with a lesser record become a motivating factor for an opponent? Would teams be more weary of playing a club that just snuck into the postseason or would that prove the best option?

Most importantly: Would a front office be willing to stake their jobs on such a decision?

From an entertainment standpoint, there are a number of ways the proposal could engage fans at a time when many are still upset with the league and union's bitter negotiations during a global pandemic.  

Time is running out to implement such a change for 2020, but the idea appears to be one both sides are at least comfortable discussing.