Baseball-MLB proposes shorter season and longer Division Series in labour talks

Major League Baseball has ​proposed shortening its regular ​season to 154 ‌games from ​162 games starting in 2029 along with expanding the Division Series ‌of the playoffs to a best-of-seven contest in a bargaining session on Thursday with the union representing players. According to ‌MLB, shortening the regular season would create a standard ‌weekly off day benefiting player health, and it would allow for a longer Division Series which is currently a best-of-five affair.

Under ⁠its ​proposal, the ⁠higher-seeded clubs in both the Wild Card and Division Series would ⁠select their opponents beginning in 2027. The Major League Baseball Players ​Association said it is reviewing the proposed changes.

"Players will ⁠weigh in on these proposals and we will respond at ⁠the ​bargaining table," MLBPA said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the league once again made clear that all of its ⁠proposals are contingent on players' agreement to a salary cap, ⁠a ⁠system that guts player rights and compensation, as well as its other anti-player proposals."