When it comes to making important decisions, few leagues are worse at it than Major League Baseball. That proved especially true this week.
The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets went into Tuesday’s series at Truist Park with just two games separating the clubs in the NL wild card. And with the Braves taking the first game, the final two games of the series could easily decide the postseason fates for both squads.
Yet, when all this was happening — and in the lead-up to the series — forecasts showed that Atlanta was right in the projected path of Hurricane Helene. Even as both the Braves and Mets shared an off day on Monday, no adjustments were made to the schedule. That left us with the inevitable postponement of the games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
The remaining games vs the New York Mets scheduled for 9/25 and 9/26 have been postponed due to current and forecasted weather impacting the Atlanta area. Both games have been rescheduled as part of a traditional doubleheader on Monday, September 30th. The first game will begin…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 25, 2024
Official: tonight and tomorrow's Mets games against the Braves have been postponed. Straight doubleheader Monday back in Atlanta beginning at 1:10 p.m.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 25, 2024
Again, MLB had options to avoid this. A game could have been played on Monday. Then, there either could have been a doubleheader on Tuesday or an early series finale on Wednesday before the weather rolled in. According to the New York Post, the Braves rejected those options, and MLB — which could have overruled the Braves — did not step in.
So, we’re left with two teams being forced to play a decisive doubleheader on Monday — the day before the playoffs. And given the standings, one team could end up in Milwaukee and another in San Diego or Los Angeles the very next day. It puts both the Braves and the Mets at a disadvantage, and MLB absolutely could have avoided this.
No wonder fans were upset when the postponement was made official.
This was how Twitter/X reacted
MLB is a joke. Had an off day on Monday when they knew this was coming and didn’t do anything. Most pivotal series of the YEAR in baseball, for BOTH teams. Now whichever team wins is going to have two pitchers burned for the Wildcard on Tuesday. Absurd. Manfred is a clown. https://t.co/FFalrnTRb3
— JP Bender (Stream Imaginal Disk) (@JP_Bender) September 25, 2024
This was a masterclass in how to screw up from MLB and the Braves organization.
They ignored an obvious problem, didn't seek a meaningful solution, and now stuck forcing two teams to play a do-or-die double header the day before the playoffs.
What an absolute joke all around. https://t.co/cuRinqNHw8
— James Schiano (@James_Schiano) September 25, 2024
160 games all comes down to a Monday doubleheader to likely decide the season. Fantastic work! @MLB https://t.co/J88N0DX0KR
— anthony (@HoodieAlonso) September 25, 2024
Absolutely ridiculous handling by MLB. WC G1 will now be either of these teams’ 6th game in 5 days meaning they might need to start with a spot starter with already exhausted bullpens and position players. Massively disadvantaging either or both of them https://t.co/vL65RacVPT
— Kevin Ivers (@Kevin_Ivers10) September 25, 2024
Rob Manfred is making it the official position of the league that whoever comes through and does whatever it is they have to do to make the playoffs should have an immediate disadvantage the first game of that playoff series because of weather that literally everyone saw coming https://t.co/tDTtywAG0e
— Evan Greenberg (@EvanGreenberg8) September 25, 2024
The MLB is really making them play a doubleheader the Monday after the season is supposed to end, then immediately travel (most likely across the country) to play a playoff game the next day against a team that is rested. Make it make sense. https://t.co/aKuwiMJjKO
— Richie Heinz (@RichieHeinz) September 25, 2024
This is absurd, MLB needed to step in and make sure these games got played before Sunday. Now the Mets are getting absolutely screwed and they’re going to have to play 5 games in 4 days just to get to the playoffs and then fly to wherever and play in the playoffs with no days off https://t.co/SJiiQsgBN1
— Joe Duffy (@jduffs3) September 25, 2024
Making these teams play a doubleheader the day before the wild card series starts is nasty work https://t.co/3GzWeG8inf
— Kyle Richardson (@Rio19) September 25, 2024
Manfred is awful. https://t.co/UMHo3npKzf
— j. (@urbnstylista) September 25, 2024
