The 2014 Major League Baseball postseason started out with a bang. The Kansas City Royals defeated the Oakland Athletics Tuesday night, 9-8, in a 12-inning thriller.

The game had everything. It had extra innings, drama, a late come from behind win, and it was a close game. But one has to wonder about and question this one game playoff format that has been put in place since 2012. Since 2012, MLB has added a wild card game in both the American and National League to begin the annual postseason. The No. 4 seed faces the No. 5 seed in a one game playoff for a chance to advance to the second round in both leagues.

But is this a good thing or a bad thing?

The positives are obvious.

Playing a one game "series" is essentially a game seven. The whole season comes down to just one game, winner take all. It has a sort of NFL atmosphere because there is no tomorrow for the losing team. Baseball fans at Kauffman Stadium watched their Royals win one of the most exciting games of the season knowing that if they lost, their team would be eliminated.

Baseball has always been a sport with limited playoff teams. It wasn't until 1969 when a playoff system was first introduced. Before that, the team with the most wins in each league would simply face off in the World Series.

Another point that can be made for keeping the format status quo is division winners. If you don't want to play in a wild card playoff game, then win your division. The only teams participating in these games are wild card teams, the fourth and fifth seeds. The Athletics, Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants all failed to win their respective divisions.

On the other hand, a one game playoff series does bring up some questions and opposition from sports fans.

After 162 regular season games, this is what we get? A one game playoff? The National Basketball Association has 82 games played per team and they play a seven game series in all four rounds. The National Hockey League has the exact same format as the NBA, 82 regular season games played with a best of seven playoff format.

Another factor to consider is pitching. How can a team fully show off their pitching staff in a one game series? Home field advantage and a set of ace pitchers can only go so far with a single elimination game. Even when we get to the second round divisional series, it's still only a best three of five series. At the very least, a full seven game series in the second round would be appropriate after playing a marathon 162-game season.

Basketball debated this very same topic for years until finally adopting a best of seven series in the first round in 2003. Since then, it's been a great change.

MLB has the longest regular season, but the shortest postseason of the four major sports. Putting emphasis on the regular season is important, but the postseason is vital.

Feel free to vote in our poll below on whether or not you would like an expanded postseason in MLB

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