| Why You Care: Before the 2023 season, MLB made changes to the schedule that would result in every team playing a series against every other team at least once per season. In theory and upon first glance, ok sounds kinda cool. But then you learn that divisional matchups are decreased by six games (so instead of playing a divisional rival 19 times, it became 13.)
The result? An Opening Day (although not Opening Day for every team!) with some gonzo head-to-head meetings. The Red Sox vs. the Reds? Tigers vs. Padres? Rangers vs. Phillies? I'm not sure anyone wants these games to be played every season — to open a season with these nonsensical pairings just feels wrong. With five teams per division, I get we can't get a perfect slate, but come on. The Tampa Bay Rays against the St. Louis Cardinals is a game you slip onto the schedule in late July, not to showcase the start of a season.
Because of MLB's obsession with branding, fans also get treated to a "Rivalry Weekend" from May 15-17 based on "regional rivalry matchups". Again, things start off fine. Mets vs. Yankees, Cubs vs. White Sox. Yup, on board, makes sense. But because this affects every team, you also get pairings as natural as…Atlanta vs. Boston? San Diego vs. Seattle? Granted, not every team is going to have an in-state option, but are there really heated feelings between Detroit and Toronto?
I'm generally not a "we should do it like that because that's how we've always done it" type. But for MLB scheduling purposes, let's lose the so-called "balance" and have actual rivals meet more often. Interleague play was fun at first, and it shouldn't go away completely, but we've swung too far in the other direction. Keep it to small doses and let's let league and divisional play mean something. | 
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