in regional realignment with 32 teams

 

Great Lakes: Cubs, White Sox, Brewers, Twins (yikes, Cubs' fans would hate losing St. Louis rivalry)

Midwest: Royals, Cardinals, Reds, Nashville (still no stadium plan, or even enough investment capital) 

(doesn't really feel Midwest with Cincy/Nashville either...)

 

East (suicide division): Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Phillies

North: Blue Jays (Toronto with big financial advantage), Tigers, Guardians, Pirates

 

Mid-Atlantic: Orioles, Nationals, Braves, North Carolina team/Charlotte

South: Rangers, Astros, Rays, Marlins (too spread out)  2 big/2 small market

 

Southwest: Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Diamond backs 

West: Rockies, LV A’s, Giants, Mariners

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/mlb-regional-realignment-could-end-173828494.html

Edited August 18, 2025Aug 18 by caulfield12

I actually really don't hate it. Just want more of a balanced schedule I guess.

Edited August 19, 2025Aug 19 by Bob Sacamano

I hope there never comes a day when MLB totally destroys the National League and American League as entities.   It would be such a Manfred move, though.   Welcome to World Series match ups between the Western Conference and Eastern Conference champs!   Please, Dear God, no.

I'd also be very surprised if MLB decides to make their 2 expansion teams in Charlotte AND Nashville.  Too close to each other and they'd both carve up the Braves' existing fan base area.

Edited August 18, 2025Aug 18 by 77 Hitmen

Just now, 77 Hitmen said:

I hope there never comes a day when MLB totally destroys the National League and American League as entities.   It would be such a Manfred move, though.   Welcome to World Series match ups between the Western Conference and Eastern Conference champs!   Please, Dear God, no.

I'd also be very surprised if MLB decides to make their 2 expansion teams in Charlotte AND Nashville.  Too close to each other and they'd both carve up the Braves' territory.

Agreed. I feel like one will be out West

59 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

I hope there never comes a day when MLB totally destroys the National League and American League as entities.   It would be such a Manfred move, though.   Welcome to World Series match ups between the Western Conference and Eastern Conference champs!   Please, Dear God, no.

I'd also be very surprised if MLB decides to make their 2 expansion teams in Charlotte AND Nashville.  Too close to each other and they'd both carve up the Braves' existing fan base area.

Montreal & Oakland are more deserving, but Manfred doesn't give a s%*# growing the game.

26 minutes ago, Tnetennba said:

Montreal & Oakland are more deserving, but Manfred doesn't give a s%*# growing the game.

I expect him to put an expansion team in Salt Lake City since Utah is offering $900M in public funding for a new stadium, even though it's only the 46th largest metro area in the US. 

Austin/San Antonio as well...three teams in Texas?

Right now they're not supporting the two teams in Florida...that Tampa/Orlando situation needs to be resolved too.

16 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Austin/San Antonio as well...three teams in Texas?

Right now they're not supporting the two teams in Florida...that Tampa/Orlando situation needs to be resolved too.

As far as a western expansion team, there's also Portland since the State of Oregon has approved $800M in funding for a new MLB stadium.  Their renderings of a waterfront stadium look pretty cool IMO. 

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/06/17/oregon-lawmakers-pass-dollar800-million-bill-for-portland-mlb-stadium/

Portland geographically would help with Seattle's isolation from the next closest major league city (San Francisco?) and could create an entire 4-team division within the Pacific time zone along with the Angels and A's if the whole concept of the AL isn't being nuked.

I'd imagine Austin or San Antonio are being considered since each metro areas have a decent number of people and are booming.   But like you said, two teams in the 3rd most populous state (Florida) isn't working.  

Sometimes, changing stuff makes things worse. IMO this is one of those times. Messing with league changes

won't help baseball. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

I expect him to put an expansion team in Salt Lake City since Utah is offering $900M in public funding for a new stadium, even though it's only the 46th largest metro area in the US. 

Not happening, not even close to a big enough population for 81 home games. 

Just do away with divisions entirely and make the pitcher hit again...in both leagues. 

Cubs and Sox in the same division/league would be horrible.

7 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

Not happening, not even close to a big enough population for 81 home games. 

I'd agree, but tell that to Manfred.  He'll take their $900M stadium and run - subsequent attendance problems be damned.  Remember, this is the guy who wants to totally eliminate the National League and American League just because he's worried that people won't tune into Peacock to watch a Boston vs. Anaheim wild card series.  

If they're going to add one expansion team out west, I'd like to see Portland get it.  They're offering public money for a stadium, too - though not as much as SLC.  Those Portland ballpark renderings look fantastic.

Edited August 19, 2025Aug 19 by 77 Hitmen

If Manfred & Co. come to their senses and keep the AL and NL and they expand to 32, here's one possible idea of how to create 4-team divisions that have reasonable geography:

American League
West:  Seattle, LA Angels, Las Vegas, Portland (expansion)
South Central(?):  Texas, Houston, KC, Colorado (moved to AL)
Central:  Sox, Detroit, Minnesota, Cleveland
East:  NYY, Boston, Toronto, Baltimore

National League
West:  SF, LAD, SD, AZ
South:  TB (moved to NL), Miami, Atlanta, Nashville/Charlotte (expansion)
Central:  Cubs, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cincy
East:  NYM, Philly, Washington, Pittsburgh

 

 

 

34 minutes ago, nrockway said:

Just do away with divisions entirely and make the pitcher hit again...in both leagues. 

Cubs and Sox in the same division/league would be horrible.

Nobody wants to see pitchers hit. 

Get rid of the entire AL/NL model. Have all teams play each and every team an equal amount. 4-5 games against every team (math). No divisions or leagues. Either scrap the wildcard and the top 8 make it, or keep the current 12 team playoff system and give the top teams byes. 

9 minutes ago, ron883 said:

Nobody wants to see pitchers hit. 

I do. Some of us like strategy. Some of us like the excitement of Bartolo Colon hitting a bomb or Dylan Cease going 3 for 3 while striking out 11. Incredibly memorable. Baseball is a very boring sport if you only watch it to see dingers. Lots more hits per game, higher batting averages when pitchers were hitting, just sayin'. 

23 minutes ago, nrockway said:

I do. Some of us like strategy. Some of us like the excitement of Bartolo Colon hitting a bomb or Dylan Cease going 3 for 3 while striking out 11. Incredibly memorable. Baseball is a very boring sport if you only watch it to see dingers. Lots more hits per game, higher batting averages when pitchers were hitting, just sayin'. 

  big brain logic!

I don't completely dislike the proposal.  I realize any serious realignment would most likely put the Cubs and Sox in the same division, but I'm not a fan of that.  And as far as expansion teams, I imagine one would be either Nashville or Charlotte but not both.

8 hours ago, nrockway said:

I do. Some of us like strategy. Some of us like the excitement of Bartolo Colon hitting a bomb or Dylan Cease going 3 for 3 while striking out 11. Incredibly memorable. Baseball is a very boring sport if you only watch it to see dingers. Lots more hits per game, higher batting averages when pitchers were hitting, just sayin'. 

Knowing someone is going to fail 90% of the time isn't "strategy".  It's masochistic. Did you like the excitement of Martin Maldonado get his monthly hit too?

8 hours ago, nrockway said:

I do. Some of us like strategy. Some of us like the excitement of Bartolo Colon hitting a bomb or Dylan Cease going 3 for 3 while striking out 11. Incredibly memorable. Baseball is a very boring sport if you only watch it to see dingers. Lots more hits per game, higher batting averages when pitchers were hitting, just sayin'. 

Correlation vs. causation can be tricky.

https://www.tylervigen.com/spurious/correlation/1530_associates-degrees-awarded-in-liberal-arts_correlates-with_google-searches-for-tummy-ache

In addition to what everyone else said, pitchers already get hurt enough. They do not need the additional stress on their bodies.

8 hours ago, nrockway said:

I do. Some of us like strategy. Some of us like the excitement of Bartolo Colon hitting a bomb or Dylan Cease going 3 for 3 while striking out 11. Incredibly memorable. Baseball is a very boring sport if you only watch it to see dingers. Lots more hits per game, higher batting averages when pitchers were hitting, just sayin'. 

You want the pitchers to hit, but you think that leads to more hits? Huh?

9 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

If Manfred & Co. come to their senses and keep the AL and NL and they expand to 32, here's one possible idea of how to create 4-team divisions that have reasonable geography:

American League
West:  Seattle, LA Angels, Las Vegas, Portland (expansion)
South Central(?):  Texas, Houston, KC, Colorado (moved to AL)
Central:  Sox, Detroit, Minnesota, Cleveland
East:  NYY, Boston, Toronto, Baltimore

National League
West:  SF, LAD, SD, AZ
South:  TB (moved to NL), Miami, Atlanta, Nashville/Charlotte (expansion)
Central:  Cubs, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cincy
East:  NYM, Philly, Washington, Pittsburgh

 

 

 

This is probably the best suggestion. Keep the AL and NL.

1 minute ago, Bob Sacamano said:

You want the pitchers to hit, but you think that leads to more hits? Huh?

The correlation should be with batting averages falling dramatically due to 4-5 inning starts and the continuing trend of lockdown pens with so many more guys now at 95-100.

8 hours ago, nrockway said:

I do. Some of us like strategy. Some of us like the excitement of Bartolo Colon hitting a bomb or Dylan Cease going 3 for 3 while striking out 11. Incredibly memorable. Baseball is a very boring sport if you only watch it to see dingers. Lots more hits per game, higher batting averages when pitchers were hitting, just sayin'. 

I always love when people are like "I'll take one Bartolo Colon home run" vs. "Albert Pujols joining the 700 club during a magical final season with the Cardinals."