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MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has made numerous changes to the sport and is considering a few more before ending his career in three years.
Manfred, 67, plans to retire when his contract runs out in January 2029, but before doing so, he wants to add two more expansion teams. MLB hasn’t expanded since 1997.
“It would be good for us. Basically, in a lot of cities that have Major League Baseball, when people want your product, you have to find a way to sell it to them, it’s a basic thing,” Manfred told New York’s WFAN earlier this week.
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Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announces that the Chicago Cubs will host the 2027 All-Star Game at Wrigley Field. (David Banks/Image Images)
“Number two, it does a lot for us from a format perspective. It would realign, it would do it along geographic lines, which would alleviate – could alleviate – a lot of the travel burden that falls on the players. Remember, we ask our players [to play] “162 times in 186 days… You can eliminate a lot of those trips and make them less onerous, which would be a great thing in terms of player health and safety.”
Manfred also hinted at the possibility of opting for an NBA or NHL style format and having Eastern and Western conferences.
“If you realign geographically, it would be more like other sports, where you play in the east in the World Series and in the west in the World Series, and that 10:00 game on the West Coast that is sometimes a problem for us becomes a primetime game on the West Coast for the two teams that are playing. So it has a lot of advantages.”
Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. speaks during the 2024 Grapefruit League Spring Training Media Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Thursday, February 15, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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Manfred said that if the MLB had 32 teams, the NFL’s model of eight divisions with four teams each seems to be the most likely outcome. However, he would “try to keep two team cities (in) separate divisions,” meaning the New York Yankees and Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels would still not be division rivals.
The commissioner also said schedule changes are in the works, including “split seasons” and “in-season tournaments.”
“We understand that 162 [games] It’s a long pull. “I think the difficulty with getting those types of events during the season is that you almost inevitably start talking about fewer regular-season games,” Manfred said.
Baseball purists haven’t loved the changes Manfred made, but they have gotten people to the ballpark, as attendance has increased in each of the last three seasons; It’s also worth noting that two full-time minor league stadiums were used this year for the Tampa Bay Rays and the A’s. Attendance had not increased in three consecutive seasons since it did so every year between 2004 and 2007.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. looks on during the MLB Draft presented by Nike at Lumen Field on Sunday, July 9, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
One change coming in 2026 is the automated balls and strikes system. Each team receives two challenges each to start a game, and if the challenge is successful, the team keeps the challenge for use later in the game. Challenges must be made only by the pitcher, catcher or batter immediately.
Manfred’s emphasis on pace of play has also shortened nine-inning games from an average of three hours and 10 minutes to 2:36 in 2024 and 2:38 last season. The A’s will also move to Las Vegas in 2028, marking the first time an organization will move since the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals before the 2005 season.
