This is year two of the new MLB playoff format as they added another Wild Card team in the American League and the National League and turned the first round into a best-of-three series, giving the top 4 teams in baseball a round-off.
In 2022, the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers had the bye in the National League, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Braves in four games, while the San Diego Padres beat the Dodgers in four games as well; in the American League, the New York Yankees and Houston Astros had the byes, the Astros swept the Seattle Mariners while the Yankees managed to squeak by the Cleveland Guardians with that series going the distance.
In 2023, the playoff format has gone a lot worse to start; with three of the four teams that had a bye-losing game 1, the Astros were the only team that pulled out a win. However, in game 2 of the ALDS, both the Orioles and Astros lost, meaning the #1 seed Baltimore Orioles are down 2-0 and at risk of being swept heading to Texas Rangers while the Astros are tied 1-1 heading to Minnesota.
The fact that the bye all but gives the best teams a week off while the teams they are playing against are coming in with the momentum of not having stopped playing and continue rolling. Something needs to change whether you go back to the old way of five teams each. An idea is eight teams in each league getting in with no byes like they did the COVID year.
Too many teams period. Expansion is killing sports. (and women annoucers)