MLB plans to expand to 32 teams, with the commissioner proposing a realignment into "East and West Leagues."

The future landscape of MLB could undergo a dramatic transformation. Commissioner Rob Manfred recently revealed that while the league is considering expanding to 32 teams, it is also exploring a major organizational restructuring. The traditional American and National Leagues, used for 125 years, might be replaced by an "East and West League" system to reduce player travel fatigue and improve scheduling and broadcast times.

During an interview today on New York radio station WFAN's "The Carton Show," Manfred expressed that the league is quite open to expanding from 30 to 32 teams, with several cities already showing strong interest. Manfred stated, "When people want your product, you should find a way to sell it to them—that's basic logic." In fact, Manfred has hinted at adding teams multiple times in recent years and reiterated months ago his hope to confirm the cities of two new teams before his planned retirement in 2029.

What truly caught attention was Manfred’s clear statement that once new teams join, the league will simultaneously implement a realignment, abandoning the traditional American and National League divisions in favor of a geographic division model similar to the NBA or NHL, potentially called the "East and West Leagues." He emphasized that one of the main considerations is to ease the burden of long-distance travel for players.

The MLB regular season lasts only 186 days, but teams must complete 162 games within this period. After accounting for game days, most of the remaining time is spent traveling. "If the league is reorganized based on geography, it would significantly reduce travel demands, which would greatly benefit players’ health and safety," Manfred said.

Additionally, Manfred mentioned that under the current structure, playoff broadcast times often force some fans to stay up late or wake up very early. For example, in a series between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels, no matter how the schedule is arranged, it tends to be inconvenient for one team’s fanbase. If playoffs were organized by geographic divisions, with East and West each advancing their own teams, games starting at 10 p.m. on the West Coast could become prime-time events locally, enhancing the viewing experience.

Manfred also shared a preliminary concept: the league might be divided into eight divisions with four teams each, avoiding having teams from the same city in the same division. Besides the realignment, Manfred was asked about adopting a midseason tournament like the NBA. He acknowledged that the league has indeed discussed split seasons or midseason championships, but given baseball’s long season and the high value placed on historical statistics and records, implementing such a system would likely require shortening the regular season, making it much more complicated than in other sports.

Manfred reiterated that he still plans to retire after his contract ends in January 2029. If the expansion and realignment plans come to fruition, the next commissioner will inherit a league that looks very different from today’s MLB.