The NFL is steady at 32 teams, the NHL (currently with 31 teams) is moving in that direction, and the MLB and NBA each have 30 teams. Eventually, Major League Baseball is going to add a couple of teams to have 32. With 81 home games for every team each season, there’s a lot more potential money out there for the MLB, and it makes too much sense not to happen. These are the six best options for MLB expansion teams.
Montreal, Canada
The most obvious option for an MLB expansion team is bringing back a team that was in existence for 36 years. The Montreal Expos had just one playoff appearance before they became the Washington Nationals, but they were a respectable franchise that represented north of the border. The city wants a team, and an ownership group is ready to bring it back if that time ever comes.
Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee is a great sports state in general, and it’s about time they got an MLB team. The Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators, and Memphis Grizzlies all have rabid fans; the same would probably be the case for a professional baseball team in the state. Nashville—the state’s capital and most populous city—is probably the best option for a Tennessee team.
Las Vegas, Nevada
The NHL’s Golden Knights are coming off the best season ever by an expansion team, and the Raiders are on their way to Las Vegas, so the MLB might want to jump into a market that long seemed taboo but isn’t any longer with the sports-betting restrictions lifted by the U.S. Supreme Court. It would be a huge move if Major League Baseball gets a team there.
Portland, Oregon
Seattle isn’t that far away, but Portland (and the state of Oregon) doesn’t have enough representation in professional sports. If the MLB puts an expansion team there, Portland fans would probably reward them by swarming to games. Also, the 20-minute drive to Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon could lead to some awesome uniforms for a Portland baseball team.
Birmingham, Alabama
Like Tennessee, Alabama is a great sports state, but they somehow don’t have any professional sports franchises. Maybe at this point no one wants to go up against Alabama football (and Auburn), which nearly everyone in the state cares about. I bet there would be a lot of interested baseball fans in the state, though.
Charlotte, North Carolina
As stated for Tennessee and Alabama, the south is a great area for baseball. It’s pretty unbelievable neither of the Carolinas have a Major League Baseball team—college baseball is wildly popular with so many schools in the two states. The MLB is currently the only one of the four major professional sports leagues without a team in Carolina. That should change.
Washington really stole the Expos like that lol.