The Future Expansion of the MLB

The MLB currently has 30 active teams, but in the next few years, the MLB is hoping to expand to 32 teams. There are currently only 8 cities on the candidates list, but more could be added in the future.

The current 8 cities are; Charlotte, Las Vegas, Montreal, Nashville, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and San Antonio. The cities are being analyzed by current population, media market, GDP per capita, existing number of major sports franchises, and closest MLB city. 

This idea came during the beginning of the pandemic in order to pick revenue back up after the main season schedule had been deeply affected. Although there are no official plans to expand, it is said that after the current commissioner, Rob Manfred retires in 2029, plans to expand are ‘inevitable’. 

CBS Reporter Dayn Perry broke down the cities on this list and also stated that everything is based on the willingness of each city.

 “[...] Much hinges on a city's willingness to provide,” Perry said. “Let's speak frankly here – corporate welfare for the construction of a new ballpark and how eager they are to abet the new owner's assumed desires for mixed-use development around that ballpark.”

 Here is a breakdown of the cities and the current statistics the MLB is looking at before making their final decision:

Charlotte, North Carolina:

Metro-area population: 2.76 million

Media Market: 21st in the United States

GDP: $60,668

Existing # of sports franchises: 2 (NBA’s Hornets, NFL’s Panthers)

Closest MLB City: 226 Miles

Las Vegas, Nevada:

Metro-area population: 2.32 million

Media Market: 40th in the United States

GDP: $61,711

Existing # of sports franchises: 2 (NFL’s Raiders, NHL’s Golden Knights)

Closest MLB City: 225 miles

Montreal, Canada:

Metro-area population: 4.38 million

Media Market: N/A

GDP: $48,181

Existing # of sports franchises:1 (NHL’s Canadiens)

Closest MLB City: 307 miles

Nashville, Tennessee:

Metro-area population: 2.05 million

Media Market: 26th in the United States

GDP: $59,213

Existing # of sports franchises: 2 (NFL’s Titans, NHL’s Predators)

Closest MLB City: 284 miles

Portland, Oregon:

Metro-area population: 2.51 million

Media Market: 23rd in the United States

GDP: $55,518

Existing # of sports franchises: (1 (NBA’s Trail Blazers)

Closest MLB City: 174 miles

Sacramento, California :

Metro-area population: 2.42 million

Media Market: 20th in the United States

GDP: $60,006

Existing # of sports franchises: 1 (NBA’s Kings)

Closest MLB City: 88 miles

Salt Lake City, Utah:

Metro-area population: 1.27 million

Media Market: 27th in the United States

GDP: $49,855

Existing # of sports franchises: 1 (NBA’s Jazz)

Closest MLB City: 520 miles

San Antonio, Texas:

Metro-area population: 2.66 million

Media Market: 31st in the United States

GDP: $56,756

Existing # of sports franchises: 1 (NBA’s Spurs)

Closest MLB City: 197 miles

Before the league decides what teams will expand, they have to figure out which teams will be relocating and where. The teams looking for relocation, or are already being relocated, are the Oakland A’s and the Tampa Bay Rays.

What other cities do think should get a baseball team? Let us know in the comments