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The Little League Classic between the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners took place on Sunday night. Since the foundation of the game eight years ago, it has become a cornerstone of the MLB schedule. Commissioner Rob Manfred was there, and he spoke with ESPN about potential MLB realignment and expansion that could be on the horizon.
Rob Manfred says future expansion would provide an “opportunity to geographically realign”pic.twitter.com/RXAvmLFTf5
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 18, 2025
“I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign. I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel. And I think our postseason format would be even more appealing…because you'd be playing out of the east and out of the west. And now that 10 o'clock time slot, where we sometimes get Boston-Anaheim, it would be two West Coast teams in that 10 o'clock slot.”
Manfred continued, “So, I think the owners realize that there is demand for Major League Baseball in a lot of great cities, and we have an opportunity to do something good around that expansion process.”
MLB has not expanded since 1998, when the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays joined the fray. They have realigned since, with the Milwaukee Brewers joining the NL in 2013 and the Houston Astros joining the AL in 1998. But nothing as drastic as what Manfred is proposing here.
This would be the extinction of the American League and National League system. If the leagues went to East and West, like the NBA and NHL, rivalries would change dramatically. The New York Mets and St Louis Cardinals would go their seperate ways, but they would play the Yankees much more often.
MLB labor negotiations have been a hot topic of late, as the 2027 season hangs in the balance. How will this proposal impact the salary cap demand owners are expected to bring to the table?
