MLB playoff format

This new MLB playoff format doesn't seem to be going too well for the higher ranked teams.

Of the 4 teams, with the best records who received first round byes, 2 are out, with the Yankees down 2-1, needing to win 2 elimination games to move forward. Only Houston has moved on.

In the National League: the defending champs - OUT. The team with the best record, 110 wins for the second year in a row - OUT. With the 5 and 6 seeds remaining.

Small sample size but is sitting around waiting for a week (first round byes) hurting these teams.

It's a format with high variance. If you've won 110 games, the last thing you want to do is play a best of five.

To put this in an overall sports perspective, five (and potentially as few as three) games compared to 162. What would be the football equivalent? You play 17 NFL games, so if you take the 1/30th of schedule rough equivalency, it would be like playing a half of football to decide a playoff game, at best.