Former Red Sox star Kevin Youkilis proposes MLB rule changes
By Sean Penney
Balanced Schedule
The premise is made with good intentions but it’s easier said than done. The playing field would be even if everyone played the same schedule. Why should the small-market Rays have to play the Red Sox and Yankees more often than the Royals do? Meanwhile, the AL East behemoths beat up on each other for the division crown while the Indians cruise to the top of a Central division devoid of any other winning teams.
The problem is that every team has 29 potential opponents and that number doesn’t divide evenly into a 162 game schedule. MLB can find creative ways to even the schedule by reducing the number of games against divisional opponents but finding perfect balance would be difficult.
The most feasible path to this balance would be reducing the schedule to 154 games and doing away with interleague play. Then every team would play the other 14 teams in their league 11 times.
Would that be fair? Sure, but you’re also limiting the number of games between rivals that tend to peak interest from casual fans. It also deprives fans of seeing their team face opponents from the other league, unless of course their team makes it to the World Series.