MLB Proposes 154-Game Season, Best-of-7 Division Series by 2029

Major League Baseball has proposed cutting the regular season from 162 games to 154 starting in 2029, while also expanding the division series from best-of-five to best-of-seven, according to ESPN. The league made the proposals Thursday, Oct. 8, during collective bargaining talks with the MLB Players Association over a new labor contract.

What exactly did MLB propose?

The plan has three parts. First, shrink the regular season to 154 games, the same length MLB used before 1960. Second, expand the division series — the second round of the playoffs — to a best-of-seven format instead of the current best-of-five. Third, let higher-seeded teams choose their opponents in both the wild-card round and the division series, according to ESPN.

Why does MLB want a shorter season?

MLB spokesperson Glen Caplin tied the shorter schedule to player health and television scheduling. "Returning to a 154-game schedule would allow us to introduce a weekly off day, which is good for player health, while also creating a new national broadcast window to showcase our most exciting teams and players," Caplin said in a statement cited by ESPN. A standard Monday off day would become part of every week under the proposal.

What do the players say?

The MLB Players Association said it is reviewing the proposals. But the union attached a major condition: any changes are "contingent on players' agreement to a salary cap," the MLBPA said in its statement to ESPN. The union has resisted a salary cap in past negotiations, which means the schedule and playoff changes could stall unless the two sides resolve that larger fight first.

How would the playoffs change under the plan?

Expanding the division series to best-of-seven would make the second round of the playoffs longer, matching the League Championship Series and World Series, which are already best-of-seven. Combined with letting top seeds pick their first-round and second-round opponents, the format would give higher-seeded teams more control over their playoff path — a change ESPN notes has already drawn mixed reactions from players and executives this postseason.

When would the shorter season start, and what happens next?

The earliest the 154-game schedule could take effect is 2029, per the proposal reported by ESPN. Nothing is finalized. The current collective bargaining agreement talks are ongoing, and the salary cap issue remains the central sticking point separating the league and the union. Fans will not see any changes to the 2027 or 2028 schedules as a result of this proposal alone.

For now, the 162-game season and five-game division series remain in place for the next two postseasons. Any shift to 154 games and best-of-seven rounds would require a signed agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, and that agreement is tied directly to the salary cap question both sides have not resolved.

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