Adding two new teams would allow MLB to even the two leagues out at 16 teams apiece, making daily interleague play no longer necessary. It also creates the opportunity for realignment. Manfred hinted at the possibility of wholesale realignment based on geography during an appearance in ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball booth this past weekend.

Major League Baseball power rankings have become the Milwaukee Brewers ' world. The other 29 teams are just living in it. After not losing a game in August until the 17th day of the month, national pundits are beginning to admit that the Brewers are not only really good,

Eight divisions with four teams each, which is a huge shift from today's six divisions with five teams. The American League gets condensed (confined to the heavily populated East Coast out to the Great Lakes region), while the National League stretches out for far more square mileage.

When MLB expansion comes up, which cities will get new teams is always the first topic. But there's another factor that will impact the entire sport: How will MLB realign its divisions -- and structure its playoffs -- to accommodate those new franchises.

During Sunday night's Little League Classic between the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred talked about the possibility of not just expansion, but also a total overhaul of the leagues as we know them.

Phillies vs Mariners live from ESPN2 on Watch ESPN. Live stream on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.