Rob Manfred strikes again!

MLB entered its last series of the season on Monday, and there wasn’t a game on the schedule worth watching. Wild-card seeding doesn’t really get the blood going, y’know.

The last weekend of the season is supposed to contain some drama somewhere, and yet in the first closing act of commissioner Rob Manfred’s new world, there wasn’t any to be found. The installation of tiebreakers instead of a Game 163 has robbed us of some of it, as the New York Mets or Milwaukee Brewers would still have a chance, or at least a better chance, to push the season further if there was that extra game. But because Manfred’s wild-card emporium has to start on time Friday, there is no room for it.

It won’t always be like this, likely. Maybe there will be two teams fighting over the third wild-card spot in future seasons. But is that really that exciting? Or a division race where the two teams aren’t good enough to sink back into a wild-card spot? Fans don’t really get their rocks off watching two 87-win teams figuratively hurl their feces at each other.

Great work, Rob. Really captures the spirit of what made baseball great.