A scheduling change long desired by baseball teams and fans may come to fruition for this year’s World Series.
Major League Baseball announced it may move start the Fall Classic up by three days if the league championship round ends early. According to the announcement, which was posted on social media, if both the American League and National League Championship Series end no later than Saturday, Oct. 19, the World Series will start on Oct. 22, with a potential Game 7 taking place on Oct. 30.
The World Series is currently scheduled to begin on Oct. 25, with a potential Game 7 on Saturday, Nov. 2, which would run up against college football games with implications for the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Baseball’s postseason has proven challenging for teams with lengthy layoffs after winning the LCS, only to sit idle for days before going into the World Series. The most pronounced example would be the 2007 “Rocktober” Colorado Rockies, who lost four straight games to the Boston Red Sox in that year’s Fall Classic after a 10-day break between the NLCS and World Series. The Rockies won 14 of their last 15 regular season games and a tiebreaker to make the playoffs and swept their two NL playoff series.
The newfound flexibility is a welcome one for the teams that will play in this year’s Series. It’s also a cause for celebration over at Fox, the World Series broadcaster.
While it may be good to keep things moving, there may not be much ratings improvement for the Series, which has had sinking viewership for years aside from the Chicago Cubs’ 2016 win. Additionally, the Week 10 primetime college football slate has yet to be determined as multiple games involving Power Five teams do not have official start times. That could create a lot of competition for eyeballs if there’s a potential Game 7 on Nov. 2.
With assistance from Anthony Crupi.
