Twins Video
When Rob Manfred appeared on ESPN’s broadcast of the Little League Classic in Williamsport, he was asked about the future of Major League Baseball expansion. His answer raised eyebrows across the league:
“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. I think our postseason format would be even more appealing," he said. "You’d be playing [brackets made up of short series] out of the East, out of the West … That 10 o’clock slot that’s a problem for us sometimes becomes a real opportunity for our West Coast audience.”
Manfred didn’t give specifics, but the implication is clear. If MLB expands to 32 teams, the American and National Leagues as we know them may be dismantled, in favor of geographically defined conferences. A couple of years ago, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden speculated on what this might look like, dropping the Twins into a division with the Cubs, White Sox, and Brewers. While purely hypothetical, it’s fun to imagine what this could mean for Minnesota.
For fans, one of the biggest perks would be accessibility. Right now, divisional matchups with Kansas City, Cleveland, or Detroit aren’t exactly “must-travel” events. But if the Twins were regularly squaring off with Milwaukee, Chicago’s North Side, and the South Side, you’d suddenly have several drivable destinations for weekend baseball trips. It’s never made sense that the Twins and Brewers, just a few hours apart, weren’t in the same division. This setup would fix that, and supercharge local rivalries. A Cubs-Twins divisional matchup several times each season would sell tickets no matter the standings, and Brewers-Twins games could evolve into true border-war matchups. Beyond the gates, it could also boost the Twins’ national relevance. More high-profile games with big-name opponents would mean more chances to appear in primetime slots, something Twins fans rarely see outside of the postseason.
Of course, realignment would also come with downsides. Since the 1990s, the AL Central has quietly been the most forgiving division in baseball. Division winners regularly finish with the lowest win totals of any group, and payrolls are generally in the bottom third. That reality has often played to the Twins’ benefit. Leaving behind that structure, especially in an era when the Twins project as one of the lower-spending franchises, could mean a tougher path to October. Instead of battling the Guardians and Royals (teams with modest payrolls), you could be swapping out Kansas City’s shoestring budget for the deep pockets of the Cubs. That change would immediately tilt the competitive balance, making life a lot tougher for Minnesota.
There’s also the matter of tradition. Baseball is as much about history as it is about box scores. The Twins have built decades of identity in the American League, from their early days battling the Yankees and Athletics to more recent clashes with the Guardians and Tigers. Think of the unforgettable 2009 tiebreaker with Detroit or the endless duels with Cleveland pitching staffs. A geographic reshuffle would wipe away much of that history, replacing familiar foes with new faces. For long-time fans, the sense of identity tied to the “American League Minnesota Twins” would be diminished.
Division realignment is an intriguing thought experiment, and there’s no doubt it comes with some fan-friendly perks. More accessible road trips, livelier rivalries, and national attention could all be positives for Minnesota. On the flip side, the Twins would lose the cushy AL Central setup and the deep traditions that come with decades of shared history. Personally, I’m against division realignment. Baseball’s two-league system has a rich history woven into its very fabric, and it feels unnecessary to rip that apart. Modern travel isn’t the grueling burden it once was; chartered flights and advanced recovery make cross-country trips far less of an obstacle. For me, the trade-offs aren’t worth erasing baseball’s heritage.
What do you think? Would you welcome the Twins into a new division with the Cubs, Brewers, and White Sox? Or do you want to see the franchise remain rooted in the American League Central? Let’s hear your take in the comments.
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now