The largest baseball league in the United States, Major League Baseball (MLB), has submitted a proposal for significant changes in race format, which can transform the regular season and final phase of the championship.
According to the ESPN and Associated Press, MLB leaders have proposed to representatives of players that the regular season be cut from 162 to 154 matches per team starting in 2029.
If approved, this would be a return to the form widely used in American baseball before the 1960s.
But the most unusual difference is to playoff.
According to the proposal, teams with the best rankings could choose their opponents in the first two rounds of the final phase, instead of facing only traditional schemes.
This system can come into force as early as 2027 if the necessary agreement is reached.
MLB has also proposed that the division series expand from the maximum five to the maximum seven matches, starting in the 2029 season.
The change would create more opportunities for decisive confrontation between teams and expand the playoff calendar.
Another element of the plan is the establishment of a regular holiday day during the week, mainly on Monday, with exceptions to certain television matches and national holidays.
MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said cutting the season would help players' health and create new opportunities for broadcasting more important matches.
However, the proposal has not been approved.
The players' union, MLB Players Association, has confirmed that it is reviewing the changes, but has rejected their connection to the owners' demand for setting a maximum wage limit.
According to Reuters, negotiations are under way before the end of the current collective agreement on December 1st 2026.
Disagreements over wages and working conditions can complicate reaching an agreement, despite interest in sports change.
For American fans, the proposal raises an important question: will the championship make it less exciting during the season and more decisive confrontation in playoff?
The answer will depend on negotiations between the league and the players, who must agree before changes become reality.
