If the Wildcard was around in the 80's

A few years ago, thanks to baseballreference.com, I tried to break it down if the playoff rules were the same in the 80's as they were in the 90's. Everybody talks about how the Mets only won in 1986, but if the rules were different, they may have had a better shot.

In 1994, MLB introduced the Wild Card. They also realigned the divisions, created a third division in each league. The three teams that were taken out of the NL East were all teams that finished first in the NL East from 1984-1990 with the exception of the two years the Mets took the crown. In other words, all things being equal, the Mets would have won  7 straight division titles.

But all things weren't equal, I would have to account for the two teams that joined the league in 1993 (Rockies and Marlins). So instead, I created a Wild Card System in which the team with the best record in each league would get a bye to the LCS, while the first place team with the lesser record would have to play the second place team with the better record. You could make it a one game play-in if you wanted.

Anyway between 1984 and 1990, here's how the playoffs would have looked...



1984

Padres vs Mets                winner gets Cubs
Blue Jays vs Royals        winner gets Tigers

1985

Dodgers vs Mets                 winner gets Cardinals
Yankees vs. Royals             winner gets Blue Jays


1986

Phillies vs Astros              winner gets Mets
Yankees vs Angels            winner gets Red Sox

1987

Mets vs Giants                winner gets Cardinals
Blue Jays vs Twins          winner gets Tigers

1988

Reds vs Dodgers             winner gets Mets
Twins vs Red Sox           winner gets Athletics


1989 Padres vs. Giants                  winner gets Cubs
Royals vs Blue Jays                       winner gets Athletics


1990

Mets vs Reds                       winner gets Pirates
White Sox vs Red Sox        winner gets Athletics


And to torture myself further here's how I think they would have gone...

1984

Mets over Padres
Cubs over Mets
Blue Jays over Royals
Tigers over Blue Jays
Tigers over Cubs

1985
Mets over Dodgers
Mets over Cardinals
Royals over Yankees
Royals over Blue Jays
Mets over Royals

1986
Astros over Phillies
Mets over Astros
Yankees over Angels
Yankees over Red Sox
Mets over Yankees  (heh heh heh)

1987
Giants over Mets
Cardinals over Giants
Blue Jays over Twins
Blue Jays over Tigers
Blue Jays over Cardinals

1988
Dodgers over Reds
Dodgers over Mets
Twins over Red Sox
A's over Twins
A's over Dodgers

1989
Giants over Padres
Cubs over Giants
Royals over Blue Jays
Royals over A's
Cubs over Royals

1990
Reds over Mets
Reds over Pirates
White Sox over Red Sox
A's over White Sox
Reds over A's