A Different October

In a baseball season that has felt like something from another planet, it should come as no surprise that the playoffs are going to be completely different too.  We already knew they would be when they announced that the postseason field was being expanded from 10 to 16 teams, a change that many were hoping would only last this year but the owners, of course, want to make permanent (I'm more willing to make my peace with that than either the runner on second or seven-inning doubleheaders becoming permanent, but I digress).  Now they've announced more changes to further guarantee that this October will be unlike anything we've ever seen before.

Back in June and July when they were trying to come to an agreement over what the regular season was going to look like, the idea of a bubble was brought up and quickly rejected.  The players didn't want to spend that much time away from their families, so they balked and the owners, knowing it was a deal-breaker, dropped it. 

However, after seeing multiple teams suffer outbreaks and the mess it made of the schedule, and knowing that no such adjustments would be possible in the playoffs, MLB pushed harder for the bubble.  This time, the players were more receptive.  So, after the first-round, we're gonna have an entirely neutral-site postseason, capped by the first-ever neutral-site World Series at the Rangers' brand new Globe Life Field.

The NL will play in Houston and Arlington, while the AL will play at Dodger Stadium and San Diego's PETCO Park.  This is presumably so no one will have home field advantage, and it makes complete sense.  That's not the interesting part, though.  The schedule is.

There won't be any off days within a series during the first three rounds of the playoffs.  The first round is a best-of-three all in the same ballpark, so there's no need for any off days.  But the Division Series and LCS won't have any either.  Only the World Series will have the built in off days, which is probably only because FOX already had those dates locked in (and because FOX can't broadcast Thursday Night Football and a World Series game at the same time).

On the surface, I get the rationale.  Since nobody will be traveling, there's no need for travel days.  But changing the schedule so dramatically--and this close to the start of the postseason--will definitely have a major impact.  Teams will have to build their postseason rosters in a completely different way.

Because there's always at least two off days within a series, teams ordinarily never have to play more than three days in a row at any point during the postseason.  That makes it easier for managers to use the same relievers over and over.  However, that won't be an option this year.  The Division Series will be five games in five days.  The LCS will be seven in seven.  If a team plays the maximum number of games in both series, they'll play 12 games in 13 days.

Of course, 12 games in 13 days is something every team is used to in the regular season.  So, in a way, the new postseason schedule will more closely emulate the regular season, which some would argue is a good thing.  You won't be able to get by with just a handful of your top relievers.  You'll have to use your entire pitching staff, just like you do throughout the season.

While most people focused on how this new format will affect bullpen management (which it will), that's not the only area where teams will have to adjust their postseason pitching plans.  Because it'll impact who starts the games just as much.  If not more so.

Teams typically use only four starters throughout the postseason.  Sometimes they can get away with using only three.  This year, that won't be possible until the World Series.  You might see a No. 1 go on three-days' rest for Game 5 of the Division Series, but it's definitely not gonna happen in the LCS.  So, instead of figuring out who to drop from the postseason rotation, teams will go in knowing they need to use everybody.  Now it's a matter of figuring out when everybody's gonna go.

That's especially true with the first round series.  You're playing three days in a row.  Do you want your No. 1 guy in Game 1, or do you save him for Game 2, which will be a guaranteed elimination game?  And when does your No. 2 start?  A lot of that could depend on whether or not you want your third-best starter pitching in the potential winner-take-all Game 3.

Where you are in your rotation at the end of the regular season will obviously have a lot to do with that, but even the teams that have their spots clinched early enough and can line starters up will have to think about that.  Then, if you win your first-round series, you've gotta think about it all over again for the Division Series.

Assuming your No. 1 goes in Game 1 of the first round, he'd be on regular rest for Game 1 of the Division Series, and thus could theoretically pitch a Game 5 on three days' rest.  I'm sure that's exactly what Clayton Kershaw and Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer will do (at the very least, they'd be available in relief).  But not every team will have that luxury.  And what do you do then?  Because if you just stick with your rotation in order, you've got your No. 4 and 5 starters pitching the elimination game/potential clincher.  Some teams may be OK with that.  I'm assuming others will not.

Then however your rotation ends up after the Division Series will have a direct impact on your LCS rotation.  Because you'll definitely need all five starters then!  Sure, some teams would likely opt for an opener at some point.  But then you're using bullpen guys who you're now taking out for multiple games.

Simply put, pitching depth has never been as important as it will be in this postseason.  We likely won't be seeing relievers going multiple innings on back-to-back days or starters coming out of the bullpen.  The Dodgers famously used Brandon Morrow in all seven games of the 2017 World Series.  That's definitely not gonna happen!  (Although I can still see relievers being used all three days in the first round.)

I'd also bet there will be some position players (mainly catchers) who don't start all seven games of the LCS, but that's not going to have nearly as much of an impact as the changes to pitching strategy.  The point is, this is will be a vastly different October.  In more ways than one.  And whoever manages it best could be the team that ends up hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy.