Yankees-Red Sox ratings show the value of big MLB duels

Major League Baseball has changed its rules to increase the pace of play. They have extended the postseason to give more teams a chance at playoff baseball. They have even tried to improve offense through shift bans and larger bases.

By and large, it’s all worked; attendance is up, the pace of play is better, and game times are shorter. But as television ratings show time and time again, there’s simply no substitute for having the biggest market teams in the national spotlight. And that’s a lesson the league could and should learn for October baseball.

When the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees played at Yankee Stadium in June, Fox’s ratings were huge. By several metrics, it was the most-watched regular-season baseball game in several years.

READ: The ratings of the Dodgers and Yankees show how the MLB postseason format is damaging itself

On Sunday, the same Yankees and the Boston Red Sox played on Sunday Night Baseball, and again huge fans tuned in. In fact, it was the largest audience for that time period in two and a half years.

If we take a closer look, there are some very obvious lessons to be learned from these two television metrics.

May 22, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates with center fielder Aaron Judge (99) after hitting his second home run of the game in the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

MLB needs big-name teams in the playoffs

What do the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers have in common? They are three of the biggest “name” teams in Major League Baseball.

For a league struggling to maintain national relevance compared to the NFL, these ratings are exactly the trend they want to see. There’s just one problem: The league’s chosen postseason format has made it increasingly difficult for these types of teams to get deep into the playoffs.

That’s not to say the World Series should be all Yankees and Dodgers every season. But given the randomness inherent in having three wild-card teams, it’s almost certain that MLB will face significantly more matchups like Rangers and Diamondbacks. Teams with 80-84 wins in small markets now have a clear path to the World Series. That’s because most postseason series are 60-40 to 55-45 advantages for the superior team. And those kinds of odds create more chaos.

Sure, the Dodgers spent a fortune in the offseason, but that only got them a 5-6% lead in a playoff series.

So MLB needs ratings, it needs big-name teams to get those ratings, and it has a playoff format that makes it harder to get any of those results. What can be done about it?

Give the teams that finish in the top two in their division a one-game head start in their first series. Eliminate travel days for the winning teams of wild-card series. Expand the NLDS and ALDS to seven games. None of these changes will result in the “best” team in each division being adequately rewarded, but they will make it more likely that teams that really want to win will have a higher percentage chance of reaching the World Series.

Some years it’s the Baltimore Orioles, other years it’s the Royals or the Diamondbacks. Other years it’s the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox. And that’s a good thing for the baseball business.