MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said major changes are coming to Major League Baseball.
During an interview Sunday during the ESPN broadcast of the Little League Classic between the Mariners-Mets, Manfred said he can see the possibility of expansion and geographic realignment taking place in the future.
The realignment would likely mean the end of the American League and National League, bringing baseball more in line with the way the NBA and NHL align their divisions.
“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. I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN because you’d be playing out of the East, out of the West, and that 10 o’clock where we sometimes get Boston-Anaheim would be two West Coast teams. That 10 o’clock slot that’s a problem for us sometimes becomes a real opportunity for our West Coast audience.”
Manfred continued, “I think the owners realize there’s demand for MLB in a lot of great cities, and we have an opportunity to do something good around that expansion process.”
The idea would constitute one of the biggest shakeups in baseball, which has occurred more frequently in recent years as Manfred has worked to change the rules of the game, schedule, and the postseason format in order to boost interest.
Manfred previously stated in 2024 that he hopes to “have a process in place” for MLB to expand to 32 teams by the time he retires when his contract expires in 2029.
It’s been nearly 30 years since MLB last expanded to get to 30 teams by adding the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays in 1998. Tthe league is reportedly eying expansion once the Athletics and Rays solve their stadium situations.
Both Salt Lake City, Utah and Nashville, Tennessee have previously been viewed as frontrunners to earn expansion teams, but expansion is not expected to take place until the Athletics and Rays’ stadium situations are resolved.
Nashville has been among the list of cities that could be eying bringing an MLB franchise to town and one that the league is interested in.
If expansion does take place, it looks like MLB will also be shaking up the structure of its two leagues and eight divisions as well.
The geographic realignment would address long-standing travel concerns that have plagued MLB scheduling, particularly with teams like the Seattle Mariners playing in the American League West alongside teams in California and Texas.
Under the current system, teams often face extensive cross-country travel that creates scheduling difficulties and player fatigue. The proposed changes would group teams more logically by geography rather than in the historic league divisions that date back over a century.