CPBL Reviewing Single-Season Format
The CPBL could potentially return to a single-season format as early as 2024 based on early positive feedback from the board members.
On March 27, the topic of changing the season format was bought up for discussion at the CPBL board meeting. According to the CPBL commissioner, it was met with positive responses among all six teams’ general managers.
The CPBL commissioner emphasised that all the teams have reached some primary consensus on changing to a single-season format. The board will revisit this topic in the next GM meeting.
“There is here is no correct answer to this,” the CPBL commissioner told TSNA. “The good thing about the current half-season format is that the standings will reset after the first half-season. Every team will have a shot at the Taiwan Series.”
“With the single-season format, yes, it could potentially impact each team’s revenue, but at the same time, the teams would be able to focus more on long-term players development,” said commissioner Tsai Chi-Chang.
The CPBL commissioner revealed he would ask the CPBL secretary general to arrange meetings with each team’s manager to gather more opinions from the ground level.
With that information in hand, in the next CPBL board meeting, they will make a decision on whether or not to change the season format.
“If we’re going to change the season format, the next question is when do we do it?” said the commissioner.
The CPBL previously used a single-season format in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. However, it reverted back to a half-season format in 2000 after the number of teams fell from six to four.
I like the split season format because it makes the CPBL unique. It also creates two pennant races so that fans have a reason to go to second half games, where a bad first half team might bring in some new, more effective foreign starting pitchers and get hot in the second half.
The split season has its perks, pretty much every game counts and it probably more exciting for fans as well. But the downside would be a lot of team tend to only focus on half a season. I personally prefer going down the single-season route like MLB, NPB and KBO. I think in long term it is better for the professional baseball industry in Taiwan.