MLB proposes 154-game season, best-of-7 LDS, letting
Major League Baseball has proposed a reduction to a 154-game season and an expanded postseason format as part of ongoing collective bargaining negotiations. The players' union has expressed strong opposition, particularly regarding the league's insistence on a salary cap.
Why it matters
These negotiations are critical as the current labor contract is set to expire, threatening potential work stoppages that could disrupt the 2027 season.
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball proposed to shorten the regular season to 154 games from 162 starting in 2029 and to expand the Division Series to best-of-seven in a plan given to players during collective bargaining Thursday.
Owners also proposed adding nine additional days off to the current postseason format, extending it to a maximum 42 days in a move that would give top starting pitchers potential to appear more often.
MLB would allow higher-seeded teams in the first two rounds of the postseason to pick their opponents beginning next year and would make most regular-season Mondays a day off for the vast majority of teams starting in 2029 except for those in up to two nationally broadcast games.
Cutting regular-season games would reduce the opportunity for players to set season and career records.
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