During the Little League Classic>, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred signaled a bold potential shift in the league’s structure. He floated the idea of expanding beyond 30 teams and moving toward a geographically realigned system, East versus West, to reduce player fatigue and revamp the postseason format. This proposal could significantly reshape the map of American baseball.
What Manfred has in mind
Manfred emphasized that adding new franchises would allow a move away from the traditional American League vs National League configuration and toward a layout based strictly on geography. That would potentially mean East and West divisions, similar to the NBA or NHL model.
He noted this would ease wear and tear on players by cutting down travel demands and could improve TV viewership. In particular for the East Coast audiences tuning in for 10 p.m. ET games between West Coast teams.
He previously mentioned a goal of expandiing MLB to 32 teams by the end of his term in 2029, laying the groundwork for this structural shift.
What this could mean for teams and fans
A realignment into East and West groupings would fundamentally change the dynamics of baseball rivalries. Iconic matchups like Mets versus Cardinals might become less frequent, while new regional schowdowns could emegre. Travel-heavy coast to coast trips could become rarer, benefiting both player health and performance.
Expansion is long overdue, no new teams have been added since the Diamondbacks and Rays joined in 1998. Rumored candidate cities include Salt Lake City, Nashville, Portland, Charlotte, Montreal, and even Mexico City.
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