DETROIT — Commissioner Bud Selig said baseball's economic structure could use more improvement but has come a long way since he took over.

With the new season just underway, Selig said there is potential for tight races in all six divisions.

"Is there work to be done? There is," Selig told the Detroit Economic Club. "But we have more teams with what I call 'hope and faith' today than we've had in a long time."

The 30 major-league teams started sharing revenue in 1996 and changed the formula in the labor contract that began after the 2002 season to increase the percentage.

Selig contends that the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars among the 30 teams has created an environment where as many as 20 teams legitimately can compete for playoff spots this year, up from perhaps seven to 10 a decade ago.

Still, economic disparity continues to exist.

The New York Yankees' $199.77 million opening-day payroll is more than the $187 million total of Tampa Bay ($29.9 million), Kansas City ($36.9 million), Pittsburgh ($38.1 million), Milwaukee ($40.2 million) and Cleveland ($41.8 million.)

Despite a luxury tax teams must pay for exceeding a payroll threshold, Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy has proposed a salary cap.

Selig, whose 12 ½-year tenure as commissioner has seen the doubling of playoff teams from four to eight and the advent of interleague play in 1997, said he doesn't believe a cap is needed.

"The system we have now is working," he said. "We have two more years in this labor agreement, and we'll just watch and see how things go."