Evaluating the Pros and Cons of Possible MLB Realignment

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Major League Baseball is a sport that thrives on tradition, but tradition has also been one of the league’s most significant roadblocks to innovation. After the next labor negotiation, expansion and realignment are expected to be serious discussion points. Twins president Dave St. Peter recently joined Rosen’s Sports Monday on the Talk North podcast and offered a candid look at where things might be heading.

“I do think that that is a realistic possibility after this next labor negotiation; both expansion and realignment are going to get a serious consideration,” St. Peter said. “I also think there's going to be other things on the table. I think they'll look at the length of the season, which is a little bit of a sacred cow in baseball. Why do we play 162 games? What does postseason baseball look like? Do you find a runway for maybe a little bit more postseason?”

That quote highlights the broad scope of change MLB is willing to consider. However, realignment, in particular, has pros and cons that fans and franchises, such as the Twins, will need to weigh carefully.

The Pros of Realignment
The most significant benefit is a reduction in travel. Teams like the Twins, who often face long cross-country road trips, would benefit from a friendlier schedule with more games against nearby opponents. Less time on airplanes can mean fresher players and potentially higher-quality baseball.

Realignment would also give MLB the chance to foster more compelling rivalries. While Minnesota has long had regional battles with Kansas and Cleveland, an adjusted map could place them more frequently against Milwaukee or even teams like Toronto. Rivalries drive attendance, boost ratings, and create the kind of energy that baseball needs to attract younger fans.

Playoff scheduling is another plus. More logical divisions and expanded playoffs could prevent awkward situations where 90-win teams sit at home in October while sub-.500 squads sneak in. Combine that with the potential for a major TV and streaming overhaul, and the league could be sitting on a revenue windfall. 

As St. Peter noted, MLB is eyeing a future where broadcast rights are pooled and shared equally, much like the NFL model. That would be a significant win for mid-market teams like the Twins, who often feel boxed out by the sport’s financial powerhouses.

The Cons of Realignment
For all the possible gains, realignment risks alienating one of MLB’s most loyal audiences: its traditionalist fan base. The split between the American League and National League has defined the game for over a century. Throwing those designations out the window could be viewed as a betrayal of history, similar to when the designated hitter rule started crossing leagues.

Another challenge is competitive balance. Smaller-market teams like the Twins could end up lumped together in divisions that don’t make much sense. In that scenario, one division might feature a clear juggernaut while another limps along with a sub-.500 “champion.” That does little to boost the sport’s credibility.

Expansion only complicates matters. New franchises inevitably begin with rosters filled with players who are below replacement level, which can distort offensive and pitching environments in unpredictable ways. Fans who already complain about inconsistent league-wide run scoring would have new ammunition for frustration.

What It Means for the Twins
For Minnesota, realignment could represent both opportunity and risk. A division reshuffle that features Milwaukee and Toronto as annual rivals could be a marketing dream. On the other hand, being placed in a loaded grouping with large-market teams could make playoff paths even steeper.

Still, the money might outweigh everything. The Twins are already rumored to be heading to ESPN for their broadcast home from 2026 through 2028, and larger revenue-sharing agreements could follow in 2029 and beyond.

“There's a plan here,” St. Peter said. “This commissioner, more than any other commissioner, has talked openly about the desire to aggregate all 30 teams' rights, particularly on the streaming side, to one platform. The Twins were actually a forerunner in this, so we feel like we're part of building that.”

If that plan materializes, the Twins could suddenly find themselves with deeper pockets to allocate toward payroll. Realignment might stir fan discontent in the short term, but the promise of competitive rosters and enhanced TV exposure could be enough to win people over.

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What are your thoughts on potential realignment? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[DJL44]

It is funny how the Disney/Fox merger forced Fox to divest the regional sports networks, which bankrupted them, which led to the Twins ending up on ESPN anyway.

[The Great Hambino]

12 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

It is funny how the Disney/Fox merger forced Fox to divest the regional sports networks, which bankrupted them, which led to the Twins ending up on ESPN anyway.

Heh, that is pretty funny, good point

Aside from all the aforementioned cons that nuking the traditional AL/NL alignment would bring, I think we've learned from the Wolves and Wild that being a central time zone team in the Western Conference is not a fun place to be.  I'm not a fan of 8:30 starts for playoff home games, which they could be potentially looking at if they end up in the Western Conference.  I know the proposal above doesn't put them there, but I have serious doubts that they'll put together an absolutely loaded division like the Yankees-Mets-Red Sox-Phillies would be without either major economic reform or some really stupid weighted playoff qualification rules

[TopGunn#22]

I welcome this.  I'm very much a traditionalist in many things, but I can see the benefit of this type of realignment.  And like the Great Hambino, I immediately saw the absolutely LOADED A.L. Northeast.

Fans in the N.L. got over the adoption of the DH and if you're a Dodger fan, you have to love it.  We as baseball fans in general got over the making of divisions in baseball instead of an "American" and "National" league.  Fans got over the NFL merger with the AFL and the semi-merger of the NBA and ABA.  Basketball fans quickly adopted the integration of the 3-point shot to the NBA.

The point is, we as fans will adapt.  We always do.  I love BASEBALL, not the way it's currently structured or may be in the future.  There will STILL be an A.L. and an N.L.  Look, the fans of the Brewers have had to endure being an A.L. team and then an N.L. team.  MLB didn't realize that Milwaukee is a National League town.  It's not like this realignment would move the St. Louis Cardinals into the American League. 

(However, it is kind of strange to see a National League Central consisting of 3 A.L. teams and only one N.L. team.

The other thing that has needed addressing for a long time is the length of the season.  Especially since the playoffs have so many layers.  I think a 154 game schedule with the goal of having the World Series played in MID October rather than the end, when a game #6 or #7 can be played in NOVEMBER is essential.  It may affect a HR record here or there but it would be for the good of the game.  

With 32 teams and 8 divisions you could have all 4 division winners in each league automatic playoff qualifiers regardless of win-loss record.  the next 4 qualifying teams would be strictly by record.  Then you would seed the playoffs #1-#8.  This way, it would be possible to see all 4 teams in the A.L. Northwest could possibly qualify.  

Change is coming.  Let's just hope the change is palatable.  I could live with the divisions as they are set up in the article.  I could like a couple of other versions better.  I'm open to all ideas.  

[Schmoeman5]

An article using St. Peter as a source and talks about the Twins being a forerunner in regards to streaming. Did he mean to say, how not to do things?

[darin617]

There are no cons to realignment. 

[Dave Borton]

[David St Peter - I thought he had been put out to deserved pasture.]

Saw enough of him.

[UpstateNewYorker]

I don't understand how Manfred can say that realignment will cut down on travel. If after realignment MLB sticks with a balanced schedule (which they went to in 2023) where each team plays every other team in at least one series: how is this cutting down on travel? The Twins would still have to make multiple west/east coast trips, no matter what the divisions look like. 

[minman1982]

I think both realignment and expansion are coming. 32 teams, four divisions of four teams each in each league. I like the idea of aligning teams to reduce travel. Right now, the Twins division isn't bad in terms of travel but a team like Seattle really has a tough go.

I could see the season getting shorter. I think there is some logic to playing a few less games. The number 150 sounds good to me (prior to 1961, the season was 154 games). A nice round number that is divisible by three. That would mean about twelve less games per season. Maybe the season starts or ends a couple weeks later or earlier. Maybe teams have additional off days in the year. Maybe the All-Star Break is longer than a week. Maybe no one plays on Thursday or Monday. Lots of possibilities. 

[old nurse]

The value of the franchises are tied to their ability to make money. The big market teams are not going to lose the value of their franchise without some compensation. The 8 teams making over 100 million are not going to give that many millions out of  benevolence. 

[sun]

Realignment in the NCAA has produced conferences that are less regional in order to have games in multiple time zones that benefit the TV contracts that each major conference receives the revenues from. I don't see how division reaignment can be evaluated without knowing more about the location of the expansion  teams. How can realignment preceed expansion? I love the balanced schedule and would rather do away with divisions all together and only have an eastern & western division with an equal number of top teams in each making the playoffs. Why does MLB need divisions at all when each team can play each other 4, 5 or 6 times and play a truely balanced schedule without any bias towards any division rivals. Why should anyone care about preserving a 162 game schedule when that's an arbitrary number? Each team could also simply play a balanced schedule with the best teams in each league making the playoffs. There can be a small scheduling bias amoing the east or west or the number of home games don't need to be equal or the home team for a rubber match can be rotated or decided by a coin toss on the field .I think the MLB could benefit by getting away from regional divisions in favor of balanced schedules. Nix the 3 divisions, they aren't needed and only interfere with a balanced schedule. The only truely fair schedule is when all schedules are balanced.  No team should miss the playoffs because they play the Dodgers or Yankees too many times by being in the same stupid division. 

I could also favor just having the standings for each league with the UVWXYZ teams making the playoffs. No one needs divisions at all because they're discriminatory and rig the playoff system. If I'm sick of having divisions then I'll bet that other fans are too. With a balanced schedule it may not even matter which league a team is in. The cream simply rises to the top and makes the playoffs.

 

[Bodie]

I'd like to ask Mr. Genius Manfred which idea is the failure.

This year's balanced schedule which was posited as the only way to make the schedule "fair", or the future plan to realign the divisions to cut down on travel?

One or the other... can't have both!

Give Manfred a Mussolini send-off before he irretrievably ruins this great game!!!!

 

[TopGunn#22]

Good points Sun.  The importance of a 162 game schedule really only applies to single season records.  But I think there are far too many reasons that it would be better to cut down from 162 to 150-154 and make sure the World Series is being played in early to mid October like it should be and NOT in November.  

I would bet my house mortgage that "expansion" means an expanded playoffs. This is what has brought baseball to November playoff games.  The huge revenue for teams comes with Playoff Games, not a run of the mill regular season game.  Cut back to 150 games.  Start the playoffs in time that if the maximum number of games is needed to get to the World Series, the games don't end in November.

Remember the 1965 World Series??  Sandy Koufax didn't pitch Game #1 because it was Yom Kippur.  Yom Kippur falls on October 1st and 2nd this year.  The weather in northern baseball cities is still decent in early October.  World Series games were once played in the daytime when the sun could keep things decently warm for October.  Now all the games are played at night to maximize TV viewership.  There is no way baseball should be playing World Series games at NIGHT, in NOVEMBER.  

I think it's inevitable that expansion is coming.  It's just too lucrative for MLB teams.  Realignment is just a natural by-product of expansion.  The Twins are in an interesting position.  They have already traded away a large chunk of their Major league roster.  There is talk of further trades that may remove 2 of their 3 top SP.  Lopez, Ryan and Ober.  

There will come a time when expansion will force the Twins to make some Major League roster decisions regarding who to protect and who to expose.  I would expect Ryan and Lopez to easily be protected if they were on the team.  But if they are not here and your rotation is Matthews, Bradley, Festa, Abel, SWR (include Dason Hill, Charlie Soto, Marco Raya and Connor Prielipp) who do you protect??  

Expansion wouldn't just affect WHO the Twins play.  It would also affect WHO is on the roster.  

[DJL44]

17 hours ago, darin617 said:

There are no cons to realignment. 

There is one immediate downside to large market teams. It forces fans to pick one team instead of following both teams in NY, LA and Chicago. You can’t be a White Sox fan and a Cubs fan when they’re rivals in the same division.

[darin617]

10 hours ago, DJL44 said:

There is one immediate downside to large market teams. It forces fans to pick one team instead of following both teams in NY, LA and Chicago. You can’t be a White Sox fan and a Cubs fan when they’re rivals in the same division.

I was saying it for the Twins. If they can get Milwaukee in their division it's a major win.