Context:

Major League Baseball proposed a 154-game regular season starting in 2029, paired with a shift of the Division Series to a best-of-seven format. The plan also would let higher-seeded teams in the first two rounds select their opponents and would designate Monday as a day off for most teams starting in 2029. MLB argues the changes would improve player health, create a new national broadcast window, and heighten October competition and storylines. Salaries would remain based on the shortened schedule, with bonus thresholds adjusted accordingly. The proposal signals a broad reconfiguration of the playoff and schedule landscape, aiming to balance health, strategy, and fan engagement while keeping the core economics intact.

Dive Deeper:

• The proposal calls for starting the 2029 season with a 154-game schedule, down from 162, as part of a bargaining package with players.

• In the postseason, the Division Series would shift from best-of-five to best-of-seven, expanding opportunities to showcase top teams and pitchers on longer series.

• Beginning next year, higher seeds would gain the option to pick their opponents in the first two rounds of the playoffs, introducing new strategic and narrative elements.

• MLB would establish Monday as a regular day off for most teams starting in 2029, except for teams involved in one or two nationally broadcast games.

• Player salaries would not be recalibrated for fewer games, but bonus provision thresholds tied to games played would be adjusted to reflect the shorter schedule.

• Historical context notes that the 154-game format dates back to 1904, though the leagues shifted to 162 games in the 1960s; the Division Series and Wild Card structures have evolved since 1995 and 2012 respectively.

• spokesperson Glen Caplin framed the changes as improving player health, expanding October appeal, and creating rivalries, while maintaining the sport’s broader economic framework.