ESPN Jeff Passan Makes Strong Case For MLB Postseason Byes

ESPN Jeff Passan Makes Strong Case For MLB Postseason ByesPhoto byMajor League Baseball on X and Pexels

Some say it is better to be a wild card going into the playoffs. Others feel it is better to play less and get more rest than opponents. However, since format changes most teams with byes were immediately bounced; therefore, developing the notion that extra time away is a bad thing. Yet, ESPN’s Jeff Passan makes a strong case for MLB Postseason Byes; that they aren’t some form of evil, but can be viewed as a positive.

The truth is, bye week or not, you just have to win. You could make the same argument after All Star Week. Too much time off and now the team isn’t as hot. Heck, some fanbases can’t wait for the break so that their team can relax and reset. So then the truth is, whether a franchise gets a couple of days off or not, they still must show up, play and win.

Regarding what fans have now witnessed during the 2024 WC series as well as ALDS and NLDS; Passan states,

“Three of the four teams that got byes advanced to the championship series.

Having a bye — and the five days off to rest and reset that accompany it — is a good thing. Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise.”

ESPN Jeff Passan Makes Strong Case For MLB Postseason Byes

Now of course some will mention that the sample size is still too small. True. And that this is the first time we have seen several ball clubs with a bye do well. Valid.

Nevertheless, Passan had response for such thinking as well. Jeff responds,

“My point is that you act like two or three years of a four-series sample is representative of anything at all. It isn’t.

From the jump, every player and executive with whom I’ve spoken has said the days off are a big advantage. It makes sense. Small-sample takeaways don’t.

Baseball is a game that operates on small advantages. Rest and reseting a rotation are two small advantages. They don’t mean a team is going to win. But the notion that time off is a disadvantage is spurious.

This year is not proof of anything. It’s a reminder that bye ≠ bad.”

With the Guardians, Yankees and Dodgers all advancing, the narrative is slightly being challenged. Bye weeks do not necessarily mean a team is going to be quickly eliminated. No doubt more time will really tell the tale, and decide once and for all if a bye is an advantage or disadvantage. But what do you think, are byes good or bad for baseball teams?

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