Manfred Signals Push To 32 Teams As MLB Considers Expansion, Realignment
Jan 30, 2026, 5:08 PM | Updated: 5:43 pm
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 13: Flags fly above the scoreboard at Wrigley Field during a game between the Chicasgo Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals on August 13, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Major League Baseball may be on the verge of its most dramatic overhaul in decades—a facelift that could include expansion, realignment, and league reshuffling.
Commissioner Rob Manfred shared portions of his bold vision with Craig Carton and Chris McGonigle on WFAN on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
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“I would like to expand. Think 32 (teams) would be a good number for us,” Manfred began. “When people want your product, you oughta try to find a way to sell it to them.”
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The math of 32 teams, similar to the NFL’s model, allows each league to use “geographic lines” to realign its 16 teams evenly amongst four divisions.
Manfred specified, “We would try to keep the two-team cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles) separate.”
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What cities are competing for MLB expansion rights?
There has long been speculation that, when expansion arrives, MLB would like to add a new team in the eastern U.S. and a second team in the western U.S.
Nashville, Tennessee, is rumored to be the favorite to land an East team, increasing the sports footprint in the South. Charlotte, North Carolina, has also been rumored, but does not currently have a group pushing for a seat at the table.
In the West, assuming the Athletics long-awaited move to Las Vegas comes to fruition, Portland, Oregon, and Salt Lake City, Utah, are considered the front-runners at the moment.
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Manfred previously stated that he would like to address the remaining home-stadium questions for the Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays before seriously considering adding two teams.
The A’s broke ground on a 35,000-seat Las Vegas ballpark in June 2025. The franchise is expected to play two more seasons at Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, after leaving Oakland following the 2024 campaign.
Tampa Bay returns to Tropicana Field for the 2026 season after extensive damage caused by Hurricane Milton forced the Rays to use George M. Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees’ Spring Training site, as its 2025 home.
The franchise continues its pursuit of a new stadium in the Tampa Bay area, but nothing has been finalized.
Expansion to 32 teams likely means divisional realignment
Traditional rivalries—Yankees‑Red Sox, Cubs‑Cardinals, Dodgers‑Giants—remain a core part of MLB’s fabric.
Will a reimagining of MLB’s divisional alignment, shifting from three 5-team divisions per league to four 4-team divisions, take some of the spice out of the traditional rivalries?
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If done with the spirit of the game in mind, a thoughtfully designed restructure could maintain historic matchups while igniting new ones.
Potential American League four-division alignment
AL West
- Los Angeles Angels
- Las Vegas Athletics
- Portland or Salt Lake City expansion franchise
- Seattle Mariners
AL South
- Colorado Rockies
- Houston Astros
- Kansas City Royals
- Texas Rangers
AL North
- Chicago White Sox
- Cleveland Guardians
- Detroit Tigers
- Minnesota Twins
AL East
- Baltimore Orioles
- Boston Red Sox
- New York Yankees
- Toronto Blue Jays
Potential National League four-division alignment
NL West
- Arizona Diamondbacks
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- San Diego Padres
- San Francisco Giants
NL North
- Chicago Cubs
- Cincinnati Reds
- Milwaukee Brewers
- St. Louis Cardinals
NL South
- Atlanta Braves
- Charlotte or Nashville expansion franchise
- Miami Marlins
- Tampa Bay Rays
NL East
- New York Mets
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Washington Nationals
The alignment would force two teams, the Rays and Rockies, to move to different leagues while preserving many of the key regional rivalries the sport depends on.
No MLB team has changed leagues since 2013, when the Astros moved from the NL Central to the AL West. The Brewers moved from the American League to the National League when the 1998 expansion added the Rays and Diamondbacks franchises.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
