2028 MLB Expansion and Realignment (gloatingkitten2503)

From 2023-2026 the MLB began began to accept expansion bids as well as ballpark plans. In December 2026 the MLB and the MLBPA agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement, during which expansion draft rules were laid out. Nashville and Salt Lake City became the two cities that are chosen to be the expansion teams for the 2028 season. Each league will now have 16 teams with 4 divisions instead of 3. 
== Cleveland Indians renaming ==
The Cleveland Indians announced on December 13, 2020 that they would change the name of their team after the 2021 season. On July 23, 2021 it was announced that the new name would be the Cleveland Guardians. 
== Nashville Stars ==
The Nashville expansion team is known as the Nashville Stars, using the name of a former semi-pro Negro league team. The Stars' ownership group is led by former pitcher and executive Dave Stewart. The Stars' stadium, known as Music City Ballpark, was built on the East Bank of the Cumberland River near Nissan Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Titans. 
== Oakland Athletics relocation ==
The Oakland Athletics decided to relocate following the end of their stadium lease in 2024. They ultimately chose to move to Las Vegas over several other interested cities that included Portland, Nashville, Montreal, and Charlotte. Their ballpark was built on the Las Vegas strip in Paradise, Nevada. MGM Resorts International the naming rights of their stadium. The A's temporarily played at the Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators team, while MGM Field was under construction. 
== Tampa Bay Rays in Montreal ==
The Tampa Bay Rays relocated to Montreal in 2028 and changed their name to the Montreal Expos, which was the name of a former MLB team that played from 1969 to 2004 before becoming the Washington Nationals. The team returned to the former home of the Montreal Expos with Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
== Utah Outlaws ==
The Salt Lake City expansion team is known as the Utah Outlaws, derived from several Wild West outlaws who called Utah home. The team is owned by an ownership group led by Gail Miller, the widow of former Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller. Smith's Food & Drug acquired the naming rights of the Utah Outlaws stadium, while giving up the naming rights of the existing Salt Lake City stadium where the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees play. 
== Realignment ==
* The Colorado Rockies moved from the National League to the American League. 
*The Montreal Expos moved from the American League to the National League. 
*The Utah Outlaws were added to the American League.
*The Nashville Stars were added to the National League.
Division 	Team 	City 	Stadium 	Capacity
American League	American League 	American League 	American League 	American League
Central 	Chicago White Sox 	Chicago, Illinois 	Guaranteed Rate Field 	40,615
Central 	Cleveland Guardians 	Cleveland, Ohio 	Progressive Field 	34,830
Central 	Detroit Tigers 	Detroit, Michigan 	Comerica Park 	41,083
Central 	Minnesota Twins 	Minneapolis, Minnesota 	Target Field 	38,544
East 	Baltimore Orioles 	Baltimore, Maryland 	Oriole Park at Camden Yards	45,971
East 	Boston Red Sox 	Boston, Massachusetts 	Fenway Park 	37,755
East 	New York Yankees 	New York City, New York 	Yankee Stadium 	46,537
East 	Toronto Blue Jays 	Toronto, Ontario 	Rogers Centre 	49,286
South 	Colorado Rockies 	Denver, Colorado 	Coors Field 	50,144
South 	Houston Astros 	Houston, Texas 	Minute Maid Park 	41,168
South 	Kansas City Royals 	Kansas City, Missouri 	Kauffman Stadium 	37,903
South 	Texas Rangers 	Arlington, Texas 	Globe Life Field 	40,300
West 	Las Vegas Athletics 	Paradise, Nevada 	MGM Field 	35,000
West 	Los Angeles Angels 	Anaheim, California 	Angel Stadium 	45,517
West 	Seattle Mariners 	Seattle, Washington 	T-Mobile Park 	47,929
West 	Utah Outlaws 	Salt Lake City, Utah 	Smith's Field 	33,000
National League	National League 	National League 	National League 	National League
Central 	Chicago Cubs 	Chicago, Illinois 	Wrigley Field 	41,649
Central 	Cincinnati Reds 	Cincinnati, Ohio 	Great American Ball Park 	42,319
Central 	Milwaukee Brewers 	Milwaukee, Wisconsin 	American Family Field 	41,900
Central 	St. Louis Cardinals 	St. Louis, Missouri 	Busch Stadium 	45,494
East 	Montreal Expos 	Montreal, Quebec 	Olympic Stadium 	49,757
East 	New York Mets 	New York City, New York 	Citi Field 	41,922
East 	Philadelphia Phillies	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Citizens Bank Park 	42,792
East 	Pittsburgh Pirates 	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 	PNC Park 	38,747
South 	Atlanta Braves 	Atlanta, Georgia 	Truist Park 	41,084
South 	Nashville Stars 	Nashville, Tennessee 	Music City Ballpark 	40,000
South 	Miami Marlins 	Miami, Florida 	LoanDepot Park 	36,742
South 	Washington Nationals 	Washington, D.C. 	Nationals Park 	41,339
West 	Arizona Diamondbacks 	Phoenix, Arizona 	Chase Field 	48,405
West 	Los Angeles Dodgers 	Los Angeles, California 	Dodger Stadium 	56,000
West 	San Diego Padres 	San Diego, California 	Petco Park 	40,209
West 	San Francisco Giants 	San Francisco, California 	Oracle Park 	41,265
== Rule Changes ==
=== Postseason Change ===
The MLB added a second Wild Card game to the playoffs with the games being broken down as follows: 
* Wild Card Game 1: Non-division winner with best record hosts non-division winner with the second best record
* Wild Card Game 2: Division winner with worst record hosts Wild Card Game 1 winner. 
* LDS 1: Division winner with best record hosts Wild Card Game 2 winner. 
* LDS 2: Division winner with second best record hosts division winner with third best record. 
=== 154-game Season ===
With two new teams being added to the MLB, it was decided that the season will be shortened from 162 games to 154. The schedule will be broken down as follows: 
* 18 games vs. each division opponent (54 games total)
* 6 games vs. every other team in the league (72 games total)
* 6 games vs. each team in an interleague division (24 games total)
* 4 games vs. geographic interleague rival 
=== The NL adopting the DH ===
It was decided in the spring of 2022 that the National League would adopt the AL's Designated Hitter rule, thus making it a league-wide rule. 
== Expansion Draft ==
The 2027 MLB Expansion Draft took in November, approximately 5 months before the start of the season. The rules of the MLB expansion draft were as follows: 
* Each team can protect 15 players in the first round, add three more players in the second round, and three more players in the third round. 
* Teams must protect any player with a no-trade clause or 10-5 rights. 
* Each team will lose exactly one player in the first and second round. No team will lose more than one player in the third round. 
* All players in an organization will be eligible to be drafted, except those with no prior major league experience who had less than three years service if signed at age 19 or older, or had less than four years of service if signed at age 18 or younger.
* Free agents cannot be protected. 
A coin toss is held before the expansion draft, and the winner could choose either (1) the first overall pick in the expansion draft or (2) to allow the other team to pick first and receive both the second and third overall expansion draft picks and the right to pick first in the subsequent rounds of the expansion draft.
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