MLB’s expanded playoffs are keeping more fans engaged as the regular season hits the final stretch

AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — When Major League Baseball expanded the playoffs a couple of years ago, adding a third wild card to each league, the idea was to keep more teams alive deeper in the season. And with them, more fan bases engaged in the game. It has worked, too, with a dozen teams still fighting for one of six wild cards as the regular season hit the final week. And it may be one of many reasons, along with the pitch clock and historic performances by the game’s biggest stars, that baseball is going through a resurgence this season.