Bill Madden praises small-market teams in MLB playoffs this year
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 18, 2026, 9:30 AM
Last updated Oct 18, 2026
Bill Madden argues that the current World Series featuring small-market teams is beneficial for baseball. He highlights that teams like the Brewers, Guardians, and Rays have excelled by focusing on smart roster management rather than relying on high payrolls. Madden points out their successes in unconventional strategies, such as effective bunting and on-base percentages, contrasting them with larger market teams like the Dodgers and Yankees. This trend suggests a shift in how baseball may evolve towards a more traditional style of play. Madden also notes the Brewers and Rays’ exceptional performance metrics, including sacrifice hits and overall batting averages.
- •Small-market teams Brewers, Guardians, and Rays lead MLB playoffs.
- •Madden highlights strategic gameplay over high payroll reliance.
- •Brewers, Guardians, and Rays excel in traditional baseball tactics.
- •Current World Series reflects a shift in team-building strategies.
- •Dodgers and Yankees struggle in contrast with small-market successes.
- 9:30 AMYahoo Sports — Bill Madden: A small-market World Series is best thing to happen to baseball
"NEW YORK — This will probably not sit particularly well with Rob Manfred’s new age analytics aficionados, let alone the army of management proponents for a salary cap, but a small market World Series — minus the Dodgers and all their gluttony and the Yankees with all their home run-or-bust tedium — is the best thing that could have ever happened to baseball. It’s not just about the disparity ...
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