MLB playoff scheduling draws criticism for empty seats and poor start times

Major League Baseball's postseason scheduling practices are under fire after thousands of empty seats appeared during a wild card series game in Atlanta. The Braves hosted the Philadelphia Phillies in a best-of-three matchup, with the first game starting at 2 p.m. local time. Despite a dramatic finish featuring a three-run home run by Austin Riley, broadcasts showed large sections of the stadium empty. The league's strategy of staggering start times to prevent broadcast overlap is failing to fill seats or maintain viewer interest.

The 2 p.m. start time on a Tuesday afternoon in late September proved difficult for attendance in Atlanta, where temperatures approached 90 degrees. Fans huddled in concourses to avoid the heat, leaving entire sections open during key moments. This contrasts sharply with a game in San Diego that started at 7 p.m. local time, which drew a sold-out crowd. The San Diego Padres' home game featured leadoff home runs from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, with a raucous atmosphere that highlighted the difference in start times.

MLB's current format requires four games for the first two rounds of the playoffs to allow the division series to begin on schedule. To manage television coverage, the league has staggered start times throughout the day, ranging from 2 p.m. Eastern to 10 p.m. Eastern. The intent is to allow fans to watch all four games without flipping between channels. However, the early start times conflict with work and school schedules, reducing both live attendance and television viewership. West coast viewers face an 11 a.m. start time for some games, making it difficult to watch live on television during work hours.

The issue extends beyond the wild card round. MLB has already announced that if the Padres advance, Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the winner of the Braves-Phillies series will start at 1 p.m. local time on a Saturday. Los Angeles is expected to face extreme heat with temperatures near or over 100 degrees, which will likely result in open seats at Dodger Stadium. In Houston, Astros players expressed frustration with poor attendance for a game that started at 4 p.m. local time. Pitcher Bennett Sousa noted that fans expect high standards for playoff attendance, pointing out that Minute Maid Park was likely packed during the team's first playoff series 10 years ago.

The article argues that an easy solution exists: starting games between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. local time would accommodate fans and players while maintaining television viewership. The league's failure to adjust these times despite clear evidence of poor attendance and fan frustration suggests a prioritization of broadcast logistics over the on-field experience.