It seems like every few years, MLB expansion rises from the grave and finds itself back in the news. Sure enough, Rob Manfred did the honors himself earlier this summer, when he floated the idea in the midst of some very eyebrow-raising comments about geographic realignment and more balanced scheduling in the future.
At this point, it seems like the big leagues going from 30 teams to 32 is a matter of when rather than a matter of if. But the question still remains: Just which cities will be the lucky winners? There are all manner of candidates who have thrown their hats into the ring over the two-plus decades since the last round of expansion in 1999, from Montreal to Orlando to Austin. Based on what Manfred and Co. figure to be looking for, though, here are the five likely candidates we'd most like to see.
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5. Salt Lake City
It might be easy to look at the market size here (just the 29th-largest TV market in the country) and laugh off the idea of a baseball team in Utah. But underestimate them as a possibility at your own risk: There's plenty of money in Salt Lake City, and an unusual level of cooperation between the public and private sector.
Perhaps even more importantly, there's demand, as anyone who's looked at attendance figures for BYU or Utah or the Jazz in recent years can attest. It would be a lot of fun to see how that fan base develops, and aesthetically, a stadium in downtown SLC would likely only be matched by Coors Field — just imagine the views of both the skyline and the nearby Wasatch Mountains. Plus, thin mountain air means a whole lot of homers. There will no doubt be skepticism about the ability of a city this size to support a big-league team, as well as the weather in April and October. But what's not to like?
4. Mexico City
The case for Mexico City almost makes itself: Given the interest in baseball in Latin America, plus the fact that nearly a third of MLB rosters are comprised of Hispanic players, putting a team in the region makes all the sense in the world. Plus, anyone who saw the electric atmosphere during last year's two-game series between the Giants and Padres — or anyone who saw the country's support of its team during the 2023 World Baseball Classic — knows just how much Mexico City could get behind a big-league team of its own.
So why is it all the way down at No. 4? It's hard to ignore the fact that Rob Manfred has consistently downplayed the possibility of Mexico City expansion at every opportunity, and the gonzo elevation — more than 7,000 feet above sea level — would render the sport even more unrecognizable than it already is at places like Coors Field. It's also a bit tough to ask free agents to sign somewhere with a different (and less stable currency) in a place they may not speak the language. This feels more like a series per year thing than an expansion thing, unfortunately.
3. Nashville
It's one of the largest metro areas in the country without big-league baseball, a rapidly growing city that already hosts NFL and NHL teams successfully. Plus, the Music City Baseball group has already done a ton of legwork, including potential stadium sites and even a nickname (the Stars, based on the city's old Negro League team). There's a reason why anyone in a position to know continues to float Nashville as one of, if not the, most likely expansion locations, one that the Majors has had its eye on for quite some time now.
Still, I have a hard time putting it any higher than this, even if the odds are pretty good that we'll see an MLB team in Nashville in the next decade or so. For starters, while Nashville boasts plenty of potential fans, many of its residents have grown up rooting for the Braves or the Reds or even the Cardinals, creating a bit of an awkward situation for rival owners who might not be thrilled about welcoming them as the 31st team. And really, doesn't this area have enough baseball as it is? It feels like MLB's expansion efforts should largely be focused on the western half of the country.
2. San Jose
Unfortunately, it seems like Manfred and the Athletics (more accurately, owner John Fisher) have well and truly salted the earth when it comes to baseball in Oakland. But the Bay Area can still absolutely fit two Major League teams — so why not San Jose, the largest city in the Bay and one that already hosts an NHL squad?
We've taken steps down this road before: Over a decade ago, with the A's future in Oakland already in doubt, San Jose attempted to lure the club away with some very splashy ballpark renderings downtown. The Giants would probably grumble a bit, but the fact remains that the Bay is simply too populous, with too much money, not to have a second big-league team. We know fan interest is there, and a pending BART expansion to San Jose should be the final hurdle to clear.
1. Portland
Portland is the largest market in the country with just one major pro sports team, and anyone who's watched a Blazers game — or even the Timbers of the MLS and the Thorns of the NWSL, both of which consistently play to sellout crowds — can tell you just how starved this city is for more organizations to root for. MLB's desire for geographic realignment and less of a travel burden means at least one West Coast expansion team is more or less guaranteed, and Portland would have to be on the top of the list for a number of reasons.
Of course, it helps when you have Nike in your backyard, and sure enough, some former Swoosh execs have already started laying the groundwork with potential stadium sites, ownership groups and funding. (The state already has about $300 million in state bonds to issue to support a stadium project.) Portland is big enough, and underserved enough, and it would provide more or less everything the league is looking for.