The Best MLB Expansion Teams to Target (Part 2)
G'day tribe! Yesterday I started the first part of the series about the best MLB expansion teams to target. We covered the MLB going back to Montreal, an expansion into one of the fastest growing cities in America - Charlotte - as well as a bankrolled Las Vegas bid that gains momentum by the day. Check out the post here.
Although they're all fantastic options, they aren't the favorite bids. Can you guess the two top favorites for MLB expansion?
2. Portland
Portland attempted and was close to relocating the Montreal Expos in 2003, and the Florida Marlins in 2007. MLB expansion to Portland is being led by the Portland Diamond Project. Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is helping financially back the movement too.
The Portland metro area is the largest in America that hosts a major league sports franchise without having an MLB team. It's the 27th most populated city in America and is bigger than Cincinnati, Kansas City and Milwaukee which all have franchises.
Minor League Baseball team the Portland Sea Dogs have an affiliation with the Boston Red Sox and have strong crowds at Hadlock Field with historical average attendances of over 5,500.
Portland's MLS team the Timbers played their first MLS game in 2011 and have one of the best fan bases in Major League Soccer. Add to that the passion that locals have for the Trail Blazers and it's safe to say that an MLB expansion team would thrive in the city.
In case you didn’t know...Portland is the largest media market with only one of the big four sports franchises (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB). We believe Portland is an underserved sports market and is due for another professional franchise. #MLBtoPDX pic.twitter.com/v5lkrfDqUv
— Portland Diamond Project (@PDXDiamondProj) May 3, 2019
1. Nashville
Nashville is the best of all MLB expansion teams the league should target. MLS team Nashville SC joined as an expansion team in 2020 with great success on the pitch and enormous crowds. One of the most significant reasons MLB expansion in Nashville makes sense is that the nearest Major League Baseball teams are four hours away in Atlanta and Cincinnati.
Minor League Baseball team averages the highest crowds in the country and broke their single-game attendance record with 12,409 people attending First Horizon Park in 2022. Nashville has a bigger market than San Diego, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Cincinnati who all field MLB teams.
The corporate market in the city continues to grow from strength to strength with Oracle and Amazon basing headquarters in Nashville. There were initial plans to build a baseball park adjacent to Nissan Stadium for a likely MLB expansion team. A potential MLB stadium in North Nashville looks the more likely scenario.
Renderings for a potential MLB team in Nashville, Tennessee ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/xuohIlbViO
— TodayInSports (@TodayInSportsCo) December 13, 2021
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