Clark pleased with expanded postseason, skeptical of 14-team format

Players' association head Tony Clark expressed satisfaction with the agreement in the 2022 labor contract to expand the postseason from 10 teams to 12 and skepticism over a 14-team format, which management proposed and players resisted.

Every team with at least 90 wins has reached the expanded playoffs and clubs with as few as 84 have earned wild-card berths. Arizona earned the sixth and final NL slot last year and made the World Series for the first time since 2001.

"We are encouraged by teams like Kansas City, who may have had a challenging year the year before and then rather than suggest a four- or five-year rebuild as a result of a challenging year, find their way into the playoffs," Clark said.

"It's an acknowledgment that perhaps with the additional two teams getting to the playoffs and the opportunity in what appears to be a very well-run organization with a plan that they have in place to be able to go from 100 losses to the playoffs is something that can happen in a way now that’s a little bit different than before," he added.

Clark said a further expansion could lead to some teams not trying to improve rosters as much as possible during offseason.

"You've got to be careful about making changes to the playoff format such that each win during the regular season doesn't have as much value as it should," he said. "It's a very delicate proposition and one of the biggest reasons why players weren't interested in going to 14."