MLB should take a fundamental page out of NASCAR's book (yes, seriously)

As I'm looking at the MLB standings with the regular season winding down and the divisional and wild card races heating up, I noticed something odd about the playoff standings and the way they are formatted, specifically on the wild card side.

When it comes to the MLB playoffs, the modern format was introduced in 2022. The three divisional winners in each league lock in, and the top three remaining teams in each league secure wild card spots.

So the wild card cutoff comes between the third and fourth place teams not leading their divisions.

Yet for some reason, the cutoff is listed between the second and third place teams.

Here are a couple examples.

In the National League, the Atlanta Braves (60-50), the San Diego Padres (60-52), and the Arizona Diamondbacks (59-52) are on the good side of the cut line, while the New York Mets (58-52) are the top team on the outside looking in.

The easiest way to calculate games back (or games ahead) is by taking the difference in wins and losses and dividing by two.

The Braves are two games ahead of the Mets, and the Padres are one game ahead. Yet they are only listed at +1.5 and +0.5 to the good, respectively, because that's how far ahead they are of the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks are simply listed at (-), despite being a 0.5 game ahead of the Mets. The Mets are properly listed at -0.5.

In the American League, the New York Yankees (66-46), the Minnesota Twins (61-48), and the Kansas City Royals (62-50) are on the good side of the cut line, while the Boston Red Sox (58-51) are the first team on the outside looking in.

The Yankees are 6.5 games ahead of the Red Sox, and the Twins are three games ahead, yet they are only listed at +4 and +0.5 to the good, respectively, because that's how far ahead they are of the Royals. The Royals are simply listed at (-), despite being 2.5 games ahead of the Red Sox. The Red Sox are properly listed at -2.5.

It simply doesn't accurately portray how far ahead they are of the cut line. If the Red Sox, for example, were still the top team below the cut line, but at 56-56, it would still show the Yankees are +4, despite them having a 10-game buffer.

The reality of it is that the teams on the good side of the cutoff should be compared to the top team below the line, not the bottom team above it, because that top team below it is the true top threat in terms of knocking them out of the postseason picture entirely.

NASCAR does a much better job portraying an accurate playoff picture.

At the NASCAR Cup Series summer break, here is what the playoff cut line battle looks like.

13 - Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing - 653 (+108)
14 - Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing - 587 (+42)
15 - Chris Buescher, RFK Racing - 562 (+17)
16 - Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Team - 552 (+7)
---playoff cut line---
17 - Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing - 545 (-7)
18 - Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing - 469 (-83)
19 - Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing - 440 (-112)
20 - Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports - 434 (-118)

The drivers ahead of the cut line are compared to the top driver below it, while the drivers below the cut line are compared to the lowest driver above it.

It's pretty simple.

But here is what it would look like if NASCAR used MLB's format.

13 - Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing - 653 (+101)
14 - Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing - 587 (+35)
15 - Chris Buescher, RFK Racing - 562 (+10)
16 - Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Team - 552 (-)
---playoff cut line---
17 - Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing - 545 (-7)
18 - Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing - 469 (-83)
19 - Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing - 440 (-112)
20 - Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports - 434 (-118)

It just wouldn't make any sense to say that Chastain is zero points to the good when he has a seven-point buffer. But that's basically what MLB does with its wild card standings.

At the end of the day, it doesn't change who gets in and who doesn't, but it does change the appearance of just how safe drivers (or teams) are (or aren't).

There could theoretically be a 10-game drop-off between the third and fourth teams in the AL wild card race, and if the second team were only one game ahead of the third team – even with both teams being in – they would be listed at only +1 game, despite being 11 games to the good.

Let's say that Bubba Wallace was still the 17th place driver, but he was 105 points behind Chastain. Though Buescher would now be 115 points to the good, an MLB-style format would only show him at +15, because his playoff status would incorrectly be compared to Chastain, who remains in the provisional playoff picture himself, instead of correctly compared to Wallace, the top-ranking threat below the cut line.

It simply makes no sense how MLB illustrates its wild card playoff cut lines.

Those on the good side of the line should be compared to the top contender below it, and those on the bad side of the line should be compared to the lowest team above it.

This is one thing NASCAR does right, and as trivial as it may seem, MLB should consider an adjustment to paint a far more accurate picture for fans.

The NASCAR Cup Series is currently in its three-week summer break, due to the NBC's coverage of the Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The next race on the schedule is the Cook Out 400, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 11. It is set to be broadcast live on USA Network from Richmond Raceway starting at 6:00 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss it!