MLB expansion has long been bandied about, and if it is on the horizon, there are many places that they could look. Some are in the US, and some might be outside of the US, but the possibilities are almost endless. With the A’s moving to Las Vegas, MLB might also look to expand to other cities, especially as their lower-tier teams move to better areas. Here are five cities that look to be frontrunners if MLB wants to expand again. And here are five “fun” options for MLB expansion.
MLB Expansion to Las Vegas
The move by the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas takes them out of the running for an MLB expansion team. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where two teams like New York or Los Angeles could share the market. However, Las Vegas has turned into the newest sports city in the country, with an NHL, WNBA, and now an NFL team. It has proven that it’s able to welcome new teams and win championships, with the only team not winning being the Las Vegas Raiders.
Las Vegas is already home to one of the best ballparks in Minor League Baseball, with the Las Vegas Aviators being the home and the farm team to the Oakland Athletics. The only issue is that the ballpark is located away from the city and on the west side. If Vegas gets a ballpark, the most obvious location is where the Athletics are looking now, closer to the strip.
This seems more and more likely that it’ll be a movement for the Athletics and less a viable option for MLB expansion, given how small the market actually is there.
Buffalo
It doesn’t matter, sun or snow, wind or rain, the fans show up in Buffalo. Buffalo has the record in Minor League Baseball for attendance and has dominated the record for years. The Bisons play in Sahlen Field, which is right next to where the Buffalo Sabers play. This makes it a prime area for an MLB expansion team.
The field got an upgrade in 2020 when the Toronto Blue Jays played in the field for a little more than a season. It would probably be the easiest to expand to Buffalo because you have the infrastructure in the field from the improvements, the only thing would be an expansion of the field.
Montreal
The Montreal Expos are one of the more historic and beloved teams in Canada, and they don’t exist anymore. Since the team played their last season in 2004, there has been a hole in the city and Quebec. However, it’s possible that they see a new team through MLB expansion or team movement. The Tampa Bay Rays once looked to play half of their home games in Montreal, and the Blue Jays play some expedition games there.
However, Montreal needs a new baseball field to make MLB expansion possible. Olympic Stadium is falling apart, and it doesn’t look like it will get any better. They may be able to get funding for a new field if there is a guarantee that an MLB franchise will return to the city.
Mexico City
No major league in the U.S. and Canada has gone below the border. But there hasn’t been a better chance than with Mexico City. The biggest metropolitan area in North America, and baseball has been growing fast in the nation. It also helps that baseball has been growing steadily in the nation for a while now, and it would only boost the sport even more. It would probably get the same treatment the Blue Jays get in Canada for being the only MLB franchise in the country.
The biggest league in Mexico is called the Mexican League, however, there would be no rivalry if the MLB set up in Mexico City because there are no teams in there. It may be a stretch compared to the others, but taking risks could work out in the end.
Colombus
One of the most underrated cities in all of sports. They only have two major league teams, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Columbus Crew. The Crew has been making the city into a soccer market with success from the franchise, while the Blue Jackets don’t have as much success; they still have a cult following. The city wants more major league teams, and MLB expansion might be the most obvious answer.
That is true for the current minor league team, the Columbus Clippers. Their arena is close to where the Blue Jackets play, and like Buffalo, the city would only need some upgrades to cover the team playing there. The only issue is that it would be the third team in an already busy state with the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds.
There are multiple more cities that deserve MLB teams. Nashville, Austin, Salt Lake City, Orlando, and the list continues. But if there were only five for a list it would have to be the ones above. Salt Lake City is said to be looking heavily into the prospects of having an expansion team.
MLB expansion to Salt Lake City?@MattSpiegel670 Spiegs, you would be huge in the SLC. Scrap the PBP book and head west to be first in line for that PBP gighttps://t.co/Pf5pKFViLx
— Nashball (@Nashball615) December 19, 2023
