Overview

• Speaking on ESPN’s Little League Classic broadcast, Rob Manfred said adding two teams could trigger a regional realignment to cut travel and create more appealing national TV windows.
• No formal plan, vote or timeline has been announced, with the concept framed as a possibility linked to eventual expansion to 32 clubs.
• Analysts have modeled formats such as eight four-team, geographic divisions, a shift that would weaken the functional meaning of the American and National Leagues.
• Critics warn regional sorting could disrupt historic rivalries and fan traditions, even as it groups local markets more tightly for scheduling and broadcasts.
• Reported candidate markets include Nashville, Charlotte or Raleigh–Durham, Salt Lake City, Portland and Montreal, with coverage noting the push is intertwined with future national media rights priorities.