5 Favourite Cities for Next MLB Expansion Team

G'day Hive. Today I'm going to talk about the MLB and the likely cities for expansion. The MLB hasn't had an expansion team join the league since 1998 when the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Rays joined the league, expansion costs setting the franchises back $130m each.

With expansion fees today estimated to be above $2b in addition to the cost of a new stadium and additional setup costs, potential owners will be looking at the best place for an MLB franchise. So lets take a look at five cities that are favourites to become the next MLB expansion franchise.

Nashville

Nashville is already home to the NHL's Predators and the NFL's Titans. The city welcomed the Nashville SC into the MLS in 2020 where they already average crowds among the best in the league.

Triple-A team Nashville Sounds also regularly averages the highest attendances in all of Minor League Baseball. With a bigger market than San Diego, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Cincinnati who all field MLB teams, Nashville is one of the favourites for an MLB expansion franchise.

Portland

Portland is the 27th-most populated US city but are only represented by the NBA's Portland Trailblazers across all major league sports. In the MLS, the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers have one of the most fierce derbies in U.S. sports and a baseball derby

Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Aviators were averaging the highest minor league baseball crowds before COVID and games remain a regular sell-out at Las Vegas Ballpark. The success of the NHL's Golden Knights, the NFL's Raiders and the WNBA's Aces who all call Vegas home is transforming Vegas from what was a destination city into a sporting city.

Montreal

Montreal holds one of the largest markets in North America without an MLB franchise which is the sort of thing potential owners look for. The Montreal Expos did play in the MLB as an expansion franchise in 1969 before relocation to Washington to become the Nationals in 2004.

Both the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays are more than 300-miles away from Montreal and the NHL's Canadiens are the only major league sports team based in the city.

Charlotte

Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. and has a huge sports culture. The city is home to NFL's Panthers and the NBA's Hornets, with the NHL's Hurricanes based close by in Raleigh. There's also a strong interest in college sports and NASCAR in the city.

Minor league baseball team the Charlotte Knights attracts among the highest league attendances in the minor leagues and in a further sign of growth in the city, Charlotte FC was awarded an MLS expansion franchise in 2019.

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All the way from the Land Down Under, I created Wolfgang Sport as I enjoy writing and watching British and American sports. Started in 2017, I started the blog as a way to connect my passion for sports in the US & UK.