MLB Considers In-Season Tournaments

American sports leagues seem a bit lost when it comes to in-season tournaments.

During a recent chat on WFAN-AM with Craig Carton and Chris McMonigle, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred shared an intriguing thought—he’s looking into the idea of an in-season tournament, similar to the NBA Cup, along with possibly splitting the season schedule.

“We talked about split seasons and in-season tournaments,” Manfred mentioned. “We know that 162 games can feel like a stretch. When you introduce an in-season event like that, it often leads to conversations about playing fewer regular-season games.”

He also pointed out that the traditional nature of baseball’s schedule makes any significant changes challenging. “In our sport, it’s far more complicated compared to others. You’re tinkering with something that people are passionate about, especially regarding in-season records,” he said.

On one hand, it’s understandable that leagues like MLB and the NBA want to jump into these tournaments. But perhaps what’s missing is that they don’t operate like the European soccer scene, where clubs face off against entirely different teams from various leagues. There’s something unique about fans getting to see matchups they wouldn’t typically encounter.

Also, the branding of these European tournaments—think Carabao Cup or FA Cup—makes them captivating. They seem to carry real weight since they feature numerous teams from different leagues fighting for glory. Honestly, who wants to rewatch the same Thunder-Bucks game for the third time in a season?

If U.S. sports leagues manage to figure this out, maybe in-season tournaments could work here. But right now? That feels like a long shot.

And honestly, considering I make good money playing baseball as it stands, I’m not keen on shaking up the business model too much.