Despite a number of fascinating storylines, much of the discussion during the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season was dominated by upcoming labor negotiations with the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in December.
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much → dominate → December
The league office, essentially run by the 30 current owners, started an advertising and promotional campaign designed to inflame tensions and increase support for its proposed salary cap.
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office → run → cap
As early as June, the league's official account made several posts telling fans how awful baseball is, while claiming that many fanbases have no "hope" of winning a World Series because of payroll disparities.
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fanbases → make → disparities
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page → contain → partners
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News → sign → wager
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that → create → newsroom
"The biggest issue baseball fans want solved to strengthen the game is fixing the payroll disparity that leaves too many fans without hope of their team competing for a World Series title," the first post said.
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post → want → title
"Every other major U.S. sport has tackled this problem, and every year more small market teams in those leagues have a chance to win.
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teams → tackle → chance
The salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field, allowing us greater flexibility to address longstanding player priorities while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50.
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proposal → level → players
This was, of course, misleading; many teams get ancillary income that would not be included in the "50/50" split.
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that → get → split
And if the proposed floor would be achievable for the small market teams in 2027, it raises the question of why it wasn't in 2026.
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it → propose → 2026
Even increased revenue sharing wouldn't come close to bridging the gap for most small market teams.
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sharing → increase → teams
Regardless though, that "hope" section, again posted in June, has taken a major, major blow by the results in the postseason.
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section → post → postseason
Because it turns out that while spending helps, it doesn't guarantee results.
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it → turn → results
With the Dodgers, Brewers, and Tampa Bay Rays advancing to their respective league championship series on Wednesday, three of the four spots in the penultimate postseason round have been determined.
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three → advance → round
The last spot will go to one of the Chicago White Sox or Cleveland Guardians.
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spot → go → Sox
Five teams, out of 30, are left standing.
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teams → leave → 30
Here's where they rank in pre-luxury tax player payroll in 2026, per Cot's Contracts:
- No. 2 - Los Angeles Dodgers
- No. 19 - Milwaukee Brewers
- No. 24 - Chicago White Sox
- No. 28 - Tampa Bay Rays
- No. 30 - Cleveland Guardians
The Dodgers are favorites to win the World Series, but as we've seen from years of experience, the favored team doesn't always win.
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team → rank → experience
And the Brewers will not be able to line up Jacob Misiorowski for two starts in the NLCS, including in Game 1 at American Family Field.
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Brewers → line → Field
Even if they do make it through the NLCS and the World Series, does the league really believe the message of "you have no hope" will resonate when four of the final five teams are in the bottom 11 in player payroll?
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teams → make → payroll
Including the literal cheapest team in the sport, and coming off a series in which the No. 28 payroll team dominated the big spending Yankees in an easy 3-0 sweep?
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team → include → sweep
These outcomes raise another key point; did Rays or White Sox fans realistically enter the season with "hope" of winning a World Series?
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fans → raise → Series
Chicago's just two seasons removed from one of the worst years in baseball history.
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Chicago → remove → history
The Rays did little this offseason to give fans reason for optimism.
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Rays → do → optimism
Yet here they are, favorites to advance through the American League for the second time in the past six years.
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they → advance → years
Milwaukee fans might have lost hope when the front office traded Freddy Peralta to the Mets in the offseason...only for the Brewers to have an even better record in 2026, the best win-loss and run differential in the sport.
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Brewers → lose → sport
Point being, "hope" doesn't always relate to success.
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hope → relate → success
Mets fans started 2026 with "hope" after getting Peralta, Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette and Devin Williams.
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fans → start → Peralta
How'd that go?
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that → go → ?
Yankees fans had hope with the exciting debut of Cam Schlittler in 2025, bringing back Cody Bellinger, and top prospects like Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr., reaching the big leagues.
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fans → have → leagues
Baseball isn't as predictable as it's made out to be, and injuries, prospects, underperformance and unexpected declines have a much greater impact than many want to admit.
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many → make → impact
Going back as far as 2010, it's clear that money helps, but competent front offices and smart money wins.
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money → go → 2010
Here are the most LCS appearances by organization starting that season
- Los Angeles Dodgers - 8
- Houston Astros - 7
- New York Yankees - 6
- St. Louis Cardinals - 4
- Milwaukee Brewers - 4
- Boston Red Sox - 3
- Detroit Tigers - 3
- Texas Rangers - 3
- San Francisco Giants - 3
- Chicago Cubs - 3
- Toronto Blue Jays - 3
- Philadelphia Phillies - 3
- Tampa Bay Rays - 2
- Atlanta Braves - 2
- Cleveland Guardians/Indians - 2
- Kansas City Royals - 2
- New York Mets - 2
- Arizona Diamondbacks - 1
- Baltimore Orioles - 1
- San Diego Padres - 1
- Seattle Mariners - 1
- Washington Nationals - 1
First, 22 of the 30 teams have reached the LCS since 2010, and if the White Sox advance with their 2-1 series lead, that'll grow to 23 of 30.
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that → start → 23
Most small market teams have reached the LCS, many multiple times.
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teams → reach → LCS
Yes, the Dodgers have dominated, but the Mets have the same number of LCS appearances as Cleveland, Kansas City, and Tampa Bay.
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Mets → dominate → Cleveland
The Tigers have made it three times, as many as the Cubs or Red Sox.
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Tigers → make → Cubs
Should Cleveland advance, they'd join the list of teams with three appearances.
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they → advance → appearances
Meanwhile, the huge market Los Angeles Angels haven't even reached the playoffs in the past decade.
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Angels → reach → decade
Again, money absolutely matters.
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money → matter → ?
It clearly helps, the Dodgers are proof of that.
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Dodgers → help → that
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
