What MLB Expansion, Realignment Could Mean for Minnesota Twins

[Parfigliano]

3 hours ago, NYCTK said:

Trevor Plouffe's Realignment Proposal - 

EAST - 

Northeast: NYY, NYM, BOS, TOR
Atlantic: PHI, WSN, PIT, BAL  
Midwest: CIN, CLE, DET, STL
Southeast: MIA, TBR, ATL, NSH

WEST - 

Pacific: LAD, SDP, SFG, LAA
Southwest: ARI, TEX, HOU, KCR
Great Lakes: MIN, MIL, CHC, CHW
Mountain: COL, SEA, LVA, (por/slc/van)
 

 

They aren't going to put NYY and NYM in the same division.

[Craig Arko]

38 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

MLB needs to be radical.  

“How to steal this base.”

[Derojo]

Quote: "That reality has often played to the Twins’ benefit." :Unquote. Having a soft A.L. Central has not been a benefit. Quite the reverse since the Pohlads have been consistently content on merely winning the division occasionally, or a wild card slot. There is zero benefit to being in a weak division if the ownership doesn't take advantage of it; they haven't. Did Mauer even sniff a World Series?

Even then, great (higher) standard of play makes for a better team. This is far more likely in a strong division than playing in a soft division. Third, the decreased number of division games; how does that change in realignment? We would go back to more division games; less; or the same? I smell money. Bottom line: a weak division weakens a team's chances of going to the ALCS or World Series. This is America. We don't give trophies for fifth or worse best teams. Division winner means nothing on its own.

[jkcarew]

Any realignment could not possibly land the Twins in anything other than a stronger division. Realignment with the Cubs and Milwaukee (assuming the continuation of an unbalanced schedule) would be very bad. Unless it actually forced the organization to try to compete at that higher level.

So, in summary…very very bad.

[DJL44]

3 hours ago, TheLeviathan said:

Here's what I know....whatever they decide to do: The last @*&*ing thing I want to hear is about "tradition" or "the way it always was"

MLB needs to drag anyone attached to that notion kicking and screaming out of the room that makes decisions.

MLB needs to be radical.  

[DJL44]

3 hours ago, TheLeviathan said:

Here's what I know....whatever they decide to do: The last @*&*ing thing I want to hear is about "tradition" or "the way it always was"

MLB needs to drag anyone attached to that notion kicking and screaming out of the room that makes decisions.

MLB needs to be radical.  

[Vanimal46]

5 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

It works for the NBA and NHL.  What do you think would preclude MLB from following their format?

MLB will need to decide if division titles matter or not. Divisions only matter in the NFL, specializing in regional 4 team divisions building up long time rivalries. I couldn’t tell you who has won a division in winter sports because they made it irrelevant in playoff seeding.

I think the NFL has it correct, and want MLB to follow suit. Make division titles matter and build up regional rivalries. Selfishly I would love a division with the Brewers and the Chicago teams. All that can be visited in a 6 hour or less drive. 

[JD-TWINS]

11 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Making those games commonplace and boring instead of rare and unique. The Twins can't sell tickets in Minneapolis right now. Do you think Brewers fans are going to drive to Minneapolis for 14 games a year?

The A's are headed to Vegas. They broke ground in June. The Rays will get a new stadium in Florida by playing Tampa, St. Pete and Orlando against each other.

Since you brought up stadiums, that's the leading indicator of where the expansion teams will end up. I think it's far more likely that San Antonio gets a team than Portland, OR. Texan politicians love to spend their tax revenues on sports stadiums. Nashville is possible, but not Vancouver. Charlotte is another possibility, but not Montreal.

1) The Twins/Brewers would play 7 games in each park/city not 14 games at Target.

2) Brewers fans from Madison to LaCrosse to Superior would travel to the Twin Cities for games on the regular from one season to the next. Sure seems to happen now and the Teams are in different Leagues - within same Division the rivalry will grow & thrive.

That said, I’d just as soon keep AL & NL discreet.

How does exchanging the Royals and Cleveland for Cubs & Brewers address “cross country travel”……….makes no sense to juggle relatively local opponents under the guise of saving money on long haul travel as well as player health & well being improving greatly.

[Seth Stohs]

I could spend hours looking at maps to try to consider options for expansion and realignment... Honestly, I think they should make them make sense and then re-evaluate in 8-10 years. 

I think that stuff like the expansion draft are what I think would be very interesting. 

Then again, I do agree with the thought that adding two more teams really just waters down the competition. It's fun for me because I love seeing people live out their dreams and more will get that opportunity. 

I also think there is a a pitching shortage already.... adding two more organizations means another 30ish starters to the big leagues and another 250 minor league pitchers. 

[darin617]

13 hours ago, EGFTShaw said:

This, also on The Athletic, (Projecting what MLB realignment might look like with expansion on the horizon - The Athletic) has a better alignment with expansion.

Twins stay with Clev, Tigers, ChiSox with KC moving to a division with Houston, Texas and Rockies switching leagues.

AL East: NYY, BlueJays, Boston, Bal
AL South: Houston, Colorado, Texas, KC
AL North: MN, Det, Chi, Cle
AL West: LV, LAA, Seattle and Expansion Team

NL East: NYM, Nats, Philly and Pitt
NL South: Atlanta, Miami, Tampa(league switch) and Expansion team
NL North: Cubs, Reds, Mil and StL
NL West: LAD, SD, SF and AZ

I would rather see a compete overhaul and don't keep it the same with nearly all teams staying in the same league.

Put Minnesota with Milwaukee and both Chicago teams. 

The only good thing about having Det & Cleveland is the road games start earlier. 

[darin617]

On top of expansion and realignment how about moving Tampa Bay Rays team to a new city. I really don't think Florida cares about baseball and is happy to have Spring Training and then go on with the rest of the year. 

Tampa always has had a contending team and nobody goes because the stadium sucks and it's hard to get to, People from all over the state of MN travel 1-2 hours if not more to go to a game and don't think twice about it.

This way you can give Nashville, Portland, and Salt Lake City a team.

[dxpavelka]

WE might welcome a Twins, Cubs, White Sox, Brewers division but I am certain MLB would have other ideas.   The only way this would fly would be if the Cubs were to be on board.  And I doubt they would.  Would not be the least bit surprised if the Cubs preferred keep their rivalry with the Cardinals rather than with the White Sox and certainly ahead of the Twins.  It's fun to think about but not gonna happen.

[EGFTShaw]

13 hours ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

I hope Raleigh/Durham or Charlotte gets an expansion team in the NL South, since I live in North Carolina.

Durham Bulls 👍

[NYCTK]

7 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

WE might welcome a Twins, Cubs, White Sox, Brewers division but I am certain MLB would have other ideas.   The only way this would fly would be if the Cubs were to be on board.  And I doubt they would.  Would not be the least bit surprised if the Cubs preferred keep their rivalry with the Cardinals rather than with the White Sox and certainly ahead of the Twins.  It's fun to think about but not gonna happen.

A Twins Brewers Tigers Blue Jays division is more likely than the Cubs and Cardinals being separated. 

[DJL44]

8 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

Then again, I do agree with the thought that adding two more teams really just waters down the competition. It's fun for me because I love seeing people live out their dreams and more will get that opportunity. 

I also think there is a a pitching shortage already.... adding two more organizations means another 30ish starters to the big leagues and another 250 minor league pitchers. 

This is the longest time between expansions since the 1950s contraction when the Negro Leagues folded. MLB is pulling in more international talent than ever. More pitchers throw in the upper 90s than ever. Maybe if we expanded and watered down the pitching a little the league’s batters would hit above .240 as a group.

[twinstalker]

On 8/20/2025 at 9:55 AM, EGFTShaw said:

This, also on The Athletic, (Projecting what MLB realignment might look like with expansion on the horizon - The Athletic) has a better alignment with expansion.

Twins stay with Clev, Tigers, ChiSox with KC moving to a division with Houston, Texas and Rockies switching leagues.

AL East: NYY, BlueJays, Boston, Bal
AL South: Houston, Colorado, Texas, KC
AL North: MN, Det, Chi, Cle
AL West: LV, LAA, Seattle and Expansion Team

NL East: NYM, Nats, Philly and Pitt
NL South: Atlanta, Miami, Tampa(league switch) and Expansion team
NL North: Cubs, Reds, Mil and StL
NL West: LAD, SD, SF and AZ

Easy, unless Montreal is one of the expansion teams.  And they appear to be a favorite.  I guess they'd put Montreal in the NL East, Pit in NL North, and Cin in NL South.  However, if it's Montreal and Nashville both, I guess you put Col in the AL West and Nashville in the AL South.  At least Colorado is used to that, somewhat.

Geography divisions, with Montreal and Nashville, no AL or NL (this is just for fun, not a suggestion)

NE:  Mtl, NYY, NYM, Bos

MA:  Bal, Phi, Was, Pit (or Cin)

SE:   Atl, TB, Mia, Nas

GL:  Tor, Detroit, Cle, Cin (or Pit)

NC:  Min, Mil, ChC, ChW

SC:  Hou, Tex, StL, KC

SW: Ari, SD, LV, Col

W:   LAD, LAA, SF, Sea

It works out pretty damn well, if you ask me.  

If Portland or SLC is with Montreal

W:  Sea, Por/SLC, SF, LV 

SW: LAD, LAA, Ari, SD

SC:  KC, Col, Hou, Tex

GL:  Min, Det, Tor, Cle

MW: StL, ChC, ChW, Mil

SE: Atl, TB, Mia, Cin

MA: Was, Bal, Phi, Pit

NE: Mtl, NYY, NYM, Bos

And if it's Nashville with SLC or Por, Nashvile goes into the SE and Was into NE.

If you want MIN in a division with Mil and the Chicago teams, cheer for Mtl and Nas in this Geography-derived set of division.

 

[The Great Hambino]

17 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

MLB will need to decide if division titles matter or not. Divisions only matter in the NFL, specializing in regional 4 team divisions building up long time rivalries. I couldn’t tell you who has won a division in winter sports because they made it irrelevant in playoff seeding.

I think the NFL has it correct, and want MLB to follow suit. Make division titles matter and build up regional rivalries. Selfishly I would love a division with the Brewers and the Chicago teams. All that can be visited in a 6 hour or less drive. 

The NFL does have one thing that makes 4-team divisions more palatable, at least in my mind:  because of the short season and playing a double round robin within your division, schedules can become extremely imbalanced.  You don't even play 6 of the teams in your own conference, while others you play twice.  With that kind of imbalance, more weight should be put on winning your division.

There wouldn't be imbalance in the schedules anywhere near that degree in baseball.  That increases the chances of an unworthy team getting into the playoffs on the technicality of winning an awful division.  When the 1994 season got shut down, the leader of the 4-team AL West was 10 games below .500.  We don't need teams like that in the playoffs.  Give me two 8-team divisions per league

[nicksaviking]

17 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

MLB will need to decide if division titles matter or not. Divisions only matter in the NFL, specializing in regional 4 team divisions building up long time rivalries. I couldn’t tell you who has won a division in winter sports because they made it irrelevant in playoff seeding.

I think the NFL has it correct, and want MLB to follow suit. Make division titles matter and build up regional rivalries. Selfishly I would love a division with the Brewers and the Chicago teams. All that can be visited in a 6 hour or less drive. 

Or more aptly, if chasing division titles makes them more money. How many years would have the AL central champ have been eliminated from the playoffs three weeks earlier in a two division league? Probably quite a few. Small divisions mean teams are in contention for a playoff spot longer and that holds (some) fans attention longer into the season.

And I agree, any league that doesn't do everything in their power to try to emulate the NFL is either stubborn or foolish. MLB does tend to be both of those though.

[Dave Borton]

Good article in the Athletic today. Behind paywall.

√ Nothing gets done until A's and Rays are properly put to bed in new stadiums.
√ 162 game schedule is toast. It's a math game, but 156 is probable.
√ 2 3-game series per week (players health would improve -- my opinion). Players paid for IL time approaching $1BB/year!
√ Owners will need to make up for lost revenue. Ticket prices ↑ or player salaries ↓.
√ Expand playoffs? (God forbid).
√ CBA expires at end of '26. Hold on re: these issues mudding up those negotiations.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6566172/2025/08/21/mlb-expansion-realignment-162-game-schedule/

[dxpavelka]

15 hours ago, NYCTK said:

A Twins Brewers Tigers Blue Jays division is more likely than the Cubs and Cardinals being separated. 

agreed