Major League Baseball proposed a 154-game regular season during a collective bargaining session with the MLBPA today, per an announcement on X. The league also proposed changes to the postseason that would include extending the Division Series to seven games and allowing higher seeds to choose their opponents.

The current 162-game schedule was fully adopted in 1962. The regular season had previously been 154 games, hence the league’s phrasing of a return to that length. The MLB announcement mentions the institution of a “standard weekly off day benefiting player health” under the 154-game schedule.

Cutting eight games from the regular season dovetails with the increase in Division Series games. Expanding that round from a five-game set to a seven-game series would mean a maximum of eight extra playoff games. These two changes would take place in 2029, per the league proposal.

In a follow-up post on X, the league notes that the longer playoff series made possible by the shorter regular season would add extra off-days to the postseason schedule. This would give pitchers extra rest and limit the number of weekday daytime playoff games, argues the league.

“A shorter regular season unlocks making October even better for our fans—with fewer weekday afternoon games, a longer Division Series, and more opportunities to see the game’s best pitchers on the biggest stage,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said, relayed by Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The playoff opponent selection would take place in the Wild Card and Division Series rounds, per the league’s proposal. In the first round, the No. 3 seed could choose between playing the No. 5 seed or the No. 6 seed. In the Division Series, the top seed would get to pick which of the Wild Card round winners it wanted to face. If accepted, the change would go into place for the 2027 season.

The setup would’ve made for some interesting decisions this postseason. Instead of playing the White Sox, the No. 3 Astros could’ve chosen to face the Red Sox. After the Braves and Padres advanced in the Wild Card round, the top-seeded Brewers could’ve opted to face Atlanta instead of San Diego.

The league’s scheduling proposals remain contingent on instituting the salary cap/floor system, as noted in their announcement. That’s been the main sticking point between the two sides. With the salary cap stipulation attached, it’s unlikely the MLBPA would accept the proposals. The union responded with a statement on X sharing that sentiment.

“Players will weigh in on these proposals and we will respond at the bargaining table,” the statement read in part. “Unfortunately, the league once again made it clear that all of its proposals are contingent on players’ agreement to a salary cap, a system that guts player rights and compensation.”

Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images