New York Yankees and 4 other teams that would benefit from MLB realignment in 2020

At first glance, it might appear that the Athletics are catching a bad break. Not only did they already have to contend with the Astros, but now they get thrown into the same division with the Dodgers. However, I believe this plan would present a great opportunity for this franchise.

For two straight years, Oakland has finished with a 97-65 record and was quickly ushered out of the playoffs due to losing the AL Wild Card Game. Shaking things up a little bit could light a fire under this team. They might not be quite as good as the Astros and Dodgers on paper, but playing them a lot would allow them to control their own destiny and to prove that they can hang with the big boys.

Not only would this benefit the players, but it could spark more fan interest as well. Even if the A’s can’t keep up with the Astros and Dodgers in the standings, they should still be good enough to finish at least third in this division and, one would presume, qualify for a playoff spot.

Another reason the A’s would benefit would be because they would get a lot more games with teams closer to home. Instead of having just one fellow team from the state of California in their division, they would now have four, plus Arizona is closeby. It’s unclear whether these games would be played at home ballparks or not, so we’re not sure whether travel would be cut down. Even if not, this could generate a lot more regional interest for the A’s, especially being in the same division as the Giants.