Royals could benefit from MLB's playoff proposal sooner than expected

It is going to be a wild offseason for baseball fans. Rumors of a potential lockout have been swirling for well over a year, and with every passing day that odds of it happening get higher and higher.

Over the last few weeks, several proposed rule changes have been leaked to the media, and the most recent one from the league has an interesting provision that could benefit the Kansas City Royals (and all teams in the AL Central).

One of MLB's proposed changes is that the No. 3 seeds in each league would get to pick their Wild Card opponent. Under the current format, the matchup is automatically set: No. 3 versus No. 6 and No. 4 versus No. 5. But how would this benefit the Royals?

MLB's new rule would effect the Royals' division more than others

Not once, since MLB expanded the playoffs to 12 teams in 2022, has an AL Central team been the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The last time an AL Central squad was the top team in the playoffs was the 2017 Cleveland Guardians.

Why does that matter? Because three out of five times the AL Central team has been the No. 3 seed since the playoffs expanded in 2022. Two out of the five years, the third Wild Card team has had a better record than the No. 3 seed. The expanded playoffs have taken any advantage away from the team that wins the division.

Before the expanded playoffs, the third division winner got the advantage of a bye. They wouldn't have to play in the Wild Card round and would start play in the divisional round against the No. 2 seed. Now those teams have to play an entire extra round; even if they do get home-field advantage, it just puts them on the back foot for the divisional round.

The best thing about this proposal is that it gives the No. 3 seed a leg up. If the Royals win the AL Central as the No. 3 seed, they get to pick their opponent. If they are No. 1 or No. 2, they get a bye to the divisional round. All the teams in the AL Central should be trying to get this rule across the finish line in negotiations.

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