A major change could soon be coming to Major League Baseball.
Rob Manfred suggested that Major League Baseball could soon undergo a geographical realignment of its divisions.
The MLB commissioner appeared on ESPN’s broadcast of Sunday night’s Little League Classic between the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners when he hinted at what the future possibly holds for baseball.
“I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign,” Manfred said.
“I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel. And I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN, because you’d be playing out of the East and out of the West.”
Who wouldn’t want to see the New York Yankees and Mets in the same division? It would take the Subway Series to a whole different level.
Aaron Judge and his old friend Juan Soto locking horns for bragging rights in the Big Apple.
Or how about the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels going blow for blow? Shohei Ohtani having to face Mike Trout and his former team on a more consistent basis, with a division crown on the line.
The possibilities and storylines are as enticing as they are endless.
However, it has been reported that the league will not seriously pursue expansion until the Tampa Bay Rays and Athletics solve their stadium situations.
The roof at Tropicana Field, home of the Rays, was destroyed by Hurricane Milton last year, forcing the team to play their home games at a minor league park this season.
The franchise was eyeing a new $1.3billion stadium in St. Petersburg, but ultimately decided not to proceed because of hurricanes and costly delays.
The future of the Rays remains up in the air.
Meanwhile, the franchise formerly known as the Oakland A’s is currently undergoing a massive $1.75 billion construction of its new 33,000-seat domed stadium in Las Vegas.
The A’s are currently playing their home games at a Triple-A ballpark in West Sacramento, California, while they await their move. The new stadium is expected to be done by the 2028 season.
Once MLB sorts the situation with the Rays and A’s, Manfred wants to expand.
He has said in the past that he would like to add two more teams before he retires as commissioner in 2029.
MLB hasn’t expanded in nearly 30 years, since adding the Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998.
“I think the owners realize there is demand for major league baseball in a lot of great cities, and we have an opportunity to do something good around that expansion process,” Manfred continued.
The future of Major League Baseball could look radically different by the time 2030 rolls around.
Expansion and realignment are both legitimately on the table, and seem more likely to happen than not.
For a sport that is dying for attention and eyeballs, it makes all the sense in the world. Evolve or get left behind.