X) POST SEASON
A) Playoff qualifiers will be the (3) Division winners, (3) 2nd place finishers of their division, and the next (2) teams with the best record from each league.
B) The top four (4) seeds will consist of the three (3) Division Winners and the Wild Card team with the best record.
1) The four (4) seeds will be ranked based on their winning percentage.
C) The next (4) playoff teams will be ranked in seeds 5-8 based on winning percentage as Wild Cards.
D) BEFORE THE SERIES BEGINS, all home-field advantage owners MUST reach out to the opposing owner via email (and CC: Stray) before playing the series to determine if they are able to play head-to-head, or not.
1) If the games are NOT played head-to-head, each owner needs to inform the Commissioner’s Office immediately before the series begins.
2) If that home-field owner plays the first (2) games without reaching out or gaining approval from the opposing team, the opposing owner has the option to accept the results or void them. If they decide to void them, the home field owner must replay games 1 & 2.
E) Tiebreakers for Division Winners, Playoff Qualifiers, and Playoff Seeds
1) If (2) teams tie for the 8th spot, the best head-to-head record will act as the home team for game 163. If they are tied, then the current tiebreakers will be used to determine the home team.
2) If (3) or more teams are tied for the 8th spot, we will revert to the current tiebreaker rules for who gets in rather than run multiple game 163’s.
3) MWBL rules are aligned with MLB rules as follows:
(a) Determine Division Winners first before determining wild cards and seeding
(b) Two Team Tiebreakers
(i) Head-to-head winning percentage
(ii) Higher winning percentage in intra-division games.
(iii) Higher winning percentage in inter-division games.
(iv) Higher winning percentage in the last half of intraleague games.
(v) Higher winning percentage in the last half plus one intraleague game (provided that such additional game was not between the two tied clubs). Continue to go back one intraleague game at a time until the tie has been broken.
(c) Three-Team Tiebreakers
(i) All Three Clubs Have Identical Records Against One Another
(1) Highest winning percentage among three tied Clubs in intradivision games.
(2) Highest winning percentage in the last half of intraleague games.
(3) Highest winning percentage in the last half plus one intraleague game (provided that such additional game was not between any of the tied Clubs). Continue to go back one intraleague game at a time until any ties have been broken.
(ii) Three Clubs Do Not Have Identical Records Against One Another
(1) If Club 1 has a better record against Clubs 2 and 3, then Club 1 qualifies.
(2) If Club 1 and 2 have identical records against one another, but each has a better record against Club 3, then Clubs 1 and 2 would follow the two-Club tiebreak rules to determine the qualifier.
(3) If Club 1 has a better record against Club 2, Club 2 has a better record against Club 3, and Club 3 has a better record against Club 1; OR Club 1 has a better record against Club 2, Club 2 and 3 have identical records against one another and Club 3 has a better record against Club 1; OR Club 1 and 2 have identical records against one another, Club 1 has a better record against Club 3 and Club 2 and 3 have identical records against one another, then:
a. The Clubs will be ranked by their overall winning percentage amongst the other Clubs combined. The Club with the highest overall winning percentage in that group qualifies.
b. If two of the Clubs have identical winning percentages, then they would follow the two-Club tiebreak rules to break their tie to determine the qualifier.
c. If all three teams have identical winning percentages, then the tiebreak rules above (No. 1) for three clubs having identical records against one another should be followed.
(iii) Determining Postseason Qualification in Four-Team Tiebreakers
(1) Highest winning percentage in games among the tied Clubs. *
(2) Highest winning percentage in intradivision games. *
(3) Highest winning percentage in the last half of intraleague games. *
(4) Highest winning percentage in the last half plus one intraleague game (provided that such additional game was not between any of the tied Clubs). Continue to go back one intraleague game at a time until any ties have been broken.
(5) NOTE: *If two Clubs have identical winning percentages, then the two-Club tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which team qualifies. If three Clubs have identical winning percentages, then the three-Club tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which team(s) qualify.
F) Post-Season playoffs will consist of four rounds with all rounds being best-of-seven series. Teams will utilize a 27-man roster compliant with IV>B>2. following the restrictions below in X>H
1) Round 1 – Wild Card Round (WCR)
(a) Matchups in each league will be seeds 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5
(b) The series will be a best-of-seven matchup, with the exception that the three (3) Division Winners require only 3 wins to advance past the Wild Card Round.
(c) The games will be played in a 2-3-2 format, with the higher seed hosting the first 2 and final 2 games and the lower seed hosting the middle 3 games.
2) Round 2 – League Division Series (LDS)
(a) Matchups in each league will have the highest remaining seed playing against the lowest remaining seed. The remaining two teams will play each other.
(b) The series will be a best-of-seven matchup.
(c) The games will be played in a 2-3-2 format, with the higher seed hosting the first 2 and final 2 games and the lower seed hosting the middle 3 games
3) Round 3 – League Championship Series (LCS)
(a) Winners of the LDS will meet for each league.
(b) The series will be a best-of-seven matchup.
(c) The games will be played in a 2-3-2 format, with the higher seed hosting the first 2 and final 2 games and the lower seed hosting the middle 3 games.
4) Round 4 – World Series
(a) Winners of the LCS will meet
(b) The series will be a best-of-seven matchup.
(c) The games will be played in a 2-3-2 format. The host for games 1, 2, 6 and 7 are on a rotating basis with the American League team hosting these games in EVEN numbered seasons and the National League team hosting them in ODD numbered seasons. (the actual calendar year is used in this calculation)
G) Days of Rest
1) There will be one day of rest between the end of the Regular Season and the start of the Wild Card Round.
2) Regardless of when the previous series ends, all subsequent series start dates will be based on the previous series going their maximum duration and one additional day off between each series.
3) The format for WCR, LDS, LCS and WS playoff games will be Two Games, (off day), Three Games, (off day), Two Games.
4) So as to not penalize successful teams for accruing additional rest, at the start of each playoff round, all Itchy players will have their Fatigue Status reset to Rested (pitchers) or Ready (position players ).
H) Post Season Restrictions
1) A Position Player or Pitcher must have appeared in at least 5 games in the current MWBL Regular Season for the Team that wishes to use the Player/Pitcher in the Post Season.
2) Pitcher Availability
(a) All teams must have a minimum of 9 pitchers on their 27-man Post Season roster.
(i) Of the 9 pitchers, there must be a minimum 4 starting pitchers who meet the Post Season Pitching restrictions.
(b) Pitchers (Starters & Relievers) must have at least 20 IP in the corresponding MLB season AND pitch 20 IP during the MWBL Regular Season to be allowed to appear in the post season.
(c) A Pitcher must have at least 12 Regular Season STARTS in either MWBL Regular Season or corresponding MLB season AND pitch 50 innings during the MWBL Regular Season in order to be allowed to START in the Post Season.
(i) This does not affect how much a pitcher can be used in post season, but it does affect who can START games in the post season.
(ii) A pitcher who is not qualified to start due to regular season usage limitations cannot be counted in the 4 Starter Minimum for the Post Season Roster.
(iii) If a team finds that it has no available starters due to injury, they can bring up a qualified starter from their farm for the next start or start a fatigued starter.
(d) Position Player Availability
(i) Position players must have at least 125 plate appearances in both the MLB and MWBL regular season in order to start or enter the game prior to the 6th inning for any game in the MWBL playoffs.
(ii) Exception: Injuries or as a pinch-hitter (to then be removed)
(iii) All position players on the playoff roster must have at least 75 PA in both the MLB and MWBL regular season.
(iv) 930 Innocuous Player Playoff Threshold
(1) 930 innocuous players do not need to meet PA thresholds to appear or start in playoffs; however, they can be downgraded unless the player receives 75 MWBL PA
a. Catchers’ arms: For every (up to) 10 PA below the minimum 75, their throw rating will be lowered by 1 to a maximum of 5 rating losses.
i. Example:
1. 74 PA 4 arm adjusted to a 3 arm.
2. 64 PA 2 arm adjusted to a 0 arm.
3. 3 PA 1 arm adjusted to a -4 arm.
b. Steal Success: For every (up to) 10 PA below the minimum 75, their steal success was lowered by 1 (no maximum rating loss)
i. Example:
1. 74 PA 34 success rating adjusted to a 33 rating.
2. 44 PA 32 success rating adjusted to a 28 rating.
3. 5 PA 36 success rating adjusted to a 29 rating.
(2) Additionally, the steal rating will be set to ‘N’ to prevent any steals from that player.
a. It is the team’s responsibility to inform the league office before the series begins so the steal rating can be altered, however, it is encouraged that each team reviews their opponent’s roster to be sure each team is inline.
b. If any series has begun, adjustments cannot be made, and the teams will have to come to an understanding during their series.
c. It is NOT the Commissioner’s Office responsibility to look over Post Season rosters
d. Micro-Manager: When a Micro-Manager must be used in the playoffs, due to an owner’s availability, they will not be expected to follow any rules rule limiting a player’s entry to a particular inning.
I) Post Season Injury
1) If ‘Live’ – an injured player may be moved after the game in which the player was injured is complete
2) If not ‘Live’, injured players can be moved during the file update cycle. Injured players moved will be put on the appropriate DL list consistent with the players injury, or longer at the Owner’s discretion.