Major League Baseball is gaining popularity worldwide, with a new influx of players from all around the world joining the league. Recently, rumors of further league expansion have been circulating, with the possibility of two new teams joining the MLB.
Since 1998 and the addition of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays (at the time Devil Rays), the MLB has had six divisions featuring five teams each – a total of 30 teams. The logical expansion would be to add two new teams and structure conferences or divisions like the NFL – four divisions in two conferences with four teams each.
Geographically, the MLB has major amounts of empty land – yet many teams are very close to each other. Five teams in California, yet no teams in Utah, Nevada (at least until the Athletics move to Vegas in 2027), or Oregon – all Western states that have other professional sports teams.
The Atlanta Braves often use “Braves Country” to describe their large fanbase, because it stretches from Mississippi to North Carolina – basically the entire Southeast, excluding Florida. However, one spot in the Southeast would be perfect for a baseball franchise – Nashville. College baseball is already at a peak in this area, due to the Tennessee Volunteers almost always being in championship contention.
The Southeast already has an established baseball fanbase, just with the Braves. The addition of an MLB team could add intrigue for fans in the area and bolster a booming sports city.
The other option that has been rumored recently is Charlotte. The same logic that applies to Nashville applies to Charlotte, except that South Carolina is rapidly expanding and adding citizens. This may provide a strong young fanbase for a promising new franchise.
Another two possible options are Salt Lake City or Portland. The lack of teams in the Northwest could easily be fixed by throwing a franchise to Portland, and Salt Lake City is another quickly growing city, just like Charlotte.
“I feel like expansion is inevitable,” said Piedmont mass and sports communications professor Joe Dennis. “What would be interesting is seeing how the MLB would realign the divisions. Portland would be interesting, because they have basketball and nothing else.”
The possibility of new expansion teams can be exciting, but the downside is the need to reorganize divisions. The MLB showcases many division rivalries that have countless iconic moments and over a century of history, and making new divisions would break up some of these rivalries. Brainstorming the possible outcomes, here is a hypothetical:
AL South:
Tampa Bay Rays
Houston Astros
Texas Rangers
Kansas City Royals
AL North:
Minnesota Twins
Detroit Tigers
Toronto Blue Jays
Chicago White Sox
AL West:
Seattle Mariners
Las Vegas Athletics
Los Angeles Angels
Portland
AL East:
Baltimore Orioles
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Cleveland Guardians
NL South:
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins
St. Louis Cardinals
Nashville
NL North:
Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Colorado Rockies
NL West:
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Los Angeles Dodgers
Arizona Diamondbacks
NL East:
New York Mets
Washington Nationals
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
