Check out this tweet from Buster Olney

[Fiver]

Regardless of the statistical chance of 2-3 more wins, or 5-6 more wins, or more or less, isn't it fundamentally true that it's more fair to all teams if all teams competing against one another for a playoff spot play the same schedule - or at least play the same teams the same # of times?

I'm not sure how that can be argued. Whether it increases the O's (or some other team's) chances by a lot or a little, the fact is that a balanced schedule would provide a fairer/more accurate judgement between two non-division teams such as say the Twins and Orioles, when their records are compared for the purpose of obtaining a playoff berth. Inother words, if we have to play the Yankees or Red Sox or whomever more than the Twins do - way more - we are at a disadvantage. Whether or not we would have made the playoffs in that scenario - we obviously wouldn't have - isn't the point really. The point is why should teams have a competitive advantage, year in and year out, right off the bat? This isn't like the NFL where you have strength of divisions that change from year to year. The AL East is ALWAYS going to be a stronger division than the Central. Always. So the O's are always going to be at a disadvantage in the wild card race, no matter what they do personnel wise.

That doesn't excuse the personnel screw ups of the last decade and a half of course; but it's something that should be changed by MLB regardless.

[eddie83]

To me it has always been about the divisions more than the balanced schedule. A balanced schedule would be fairer to determine the 2 wild card teams but there are alot of advantages to it as well. Less travel for the players, more games at good starting times for the fans.

As far as the Orioles go until they can at minimum build the third best team in the division they can't reach the playoff. Playing the rest of the division 12 0r 18 times a season isn't going to change where the teams finish in the standings. The teams records would be impacted but at the end of the day if you are the 5th best team in the division you would be the 5th best team regardless of having a balanced schedule or not.

I think a different question would be if the Orioles and Tigers switched divisions how much would that impact the two teams? The Orioles standard for building a contending team would be far weaker and the Tigers much, much tougher. How much differently would free agents look at the two teams? Maybe the Orioles could add a mid tier starter so they don't have to rush a minor leaguer. Common sense says pitchers want nothing to do with the team now and why would they. Throw the Orioles out of the question. In 2002 if the Twins and Blue Jays had switched divisions how diiferently would those two franchises be looked at? The Twins may or may not of made the playoffs since then, IMO the Blue Jays would have had several playoff teams, maybe they would of kept a Halladay?The Jays haven't had a true playoff race since 1993. On some levels it is a pointless conversation because it isn't going to change, I just wish there was more discussion in the media about it. You can't compare the Orioles to other teams, it would be like comparing an SEC football team to an ACC football team.