Overview

• Commissioner Rob Manfred said expansion would provide an opportunity to realign by geography, citing player travel savings and more appealing postseason TV windows.
• Some club officials, as reported by The Athletic and relayed by OutKick, have floated that expansion could end the 162-game schedule in favor of a 156-game format.
• One proposed 156-game model features eight divisions of four teams with 12 intra-division games, six against other teams in the same league, and three against clubs in the opposite league.
• Commentary highlights potential erosion of AL/NL identities, including scenarios that could place crosstown rivals such as the Cubs and White Sox in the same division.
• MLB has announced no formal plan or vote, with media and analysts outlining multiple realignment concepts that range from shifting teams across leagues to eliminating leagues entirely.