MLB proposes 154-game season and seven-game Division Series

Major League Baseball proposed a 154-game regular season and a best-of-seven Division Series during bargaining with the players’ union Thursday, offering changes that would reshape both the weekly schedule and the route through October.

The shorter season and longer Division Series would begin in 2029 under the proposal. A separate change would start in 2027: higher-seeded teams would choose their opponents in the Wild Card and Division Series rounds. MLB announced those dates on its official account.

These are negotiating proposals. The MLB Players Association said it was reviewing the scheduling materials and would respond at the bargaining table. In its statement, reported by Baseball America and The Associated Press, the union also said the league continued to make its proposals contingent on players accepting a salary cap.

That condition remains a substantial obstacle. The union has opposed a cap, and its response Thursday did not announce agreement on the shorter season, opponent selection or a longer first full playoff round. The current labor contract expires December 1.

The regular-season plan would reduce each club’s schedule by eight games and make most Mondays an off day. One or two games could occupy an exclusive national television window, with those teams taking Thursday off instead. Holidays and certain special events would be exceptions.

MLB said salaries would not be reduced because of the shorter schedule. Contract thresholds tied to playing time, including bonuses and options, would be adjusted proportionally. Each team would also have four split doubleheaders, one against each division opponent.

The playoff selection mechanism would give the No. 3 seed a choice between the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds in the Wild Card round. After that round, the No. 1 seed would choose which surviving Wild Card team to face in the Division Series.

A seven-game Division Series would add as many as eight games across the four series. MLB’s plan also calls for more off days and staggered starts, seeking fewer weekday afternoon games and more opportunities for leading pitchers to appear.

The proposal connects those changes to the next national media agreements in 2029. Whether any part reaches an actual schedule will depend on the wider labor negotiations and the players’ response.