2026 MLB Expansion & Realignment(SportsFan958)

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From 2022-2024 the MLB began began to accept expansion bids as well as ballpark plans. In December 2024 the MLB and the MLBPA agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement, during which expansion draft rules were laid out. Portland, Charlotte, and Vancouver became the first three cities that are chosen to be the expansion teams, including more teams(as shown on table) for the 2026 season. The two leagues will now have 28 teams with 4 divisions instead of 3.
== Charlotte Crowns ==
The Charlotte expansion team is known as the Charlotte Crowns, chosen because of the city's nickname "the Queen City". David Tepper (also the owner of the NFL's Carolina Panthers and the MLS' Charlotte FC) is the main owner of the team. Their stadium is known as LendingTree Field.
== Texas Rangers renaming ==
The Texas Rangers announced on November 28, 2024 that they would change the name of their team for their city name after the 2024 season. On January 30, 2025, it was announced that the new name would be the Dallas Rangers. 
== 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 own the naming rights of their stadium. 
== Portland Pines ==
Plans for an MLB team in Portland first began in 2017 with the Portland Diamond Project group. This ownership group which includes retired Nike vice president Craig Cheek and former Portland Trail Blazers players, Clyde Drexler and Rasheed Wallace. The name Portland Pines was chosen over the Lumberjacks, Loggers, Beavers, and Mavericks. Their stadium is known as the Portland Diamond Ballpark, also known as Moda Field.
== The Rebirth of the Montreal Expos ==
The Montreal Expos were re-added to the MLB in 2026 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, with a furbished modern baseball diamond, pitch, and their new logo and cap.
== Realignment ==
* The Montreal Expos were re-added and are aligned to the National League.
* The Portland Pines were added to the American League.
* The Charlotte Crowns were added to the National League.
* The Vancouver Orange were added to the American 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 	Edmonton Energy 	Edmonton, Alberta 	RE/MAX Field 	9,200
Central 	Kansas City Royals 	Kansas City, Missouri 	Kauffman Stadium 	37,903
Central 	Minnesota Twins 	Minneapolis, Minnesota 	Target Field 	38,544
Central 	Oklahoma City Strikers 	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 	Loves Travel Stadium 	20,000
East 	Baltimore Orioles 	Baltimore, Maryland 	Oriole Park at Camden Yards	45,971
East 	Boston Red Sox 	Boston, Massachusetts 	Fenway Park 	37,755
East 	New Jersey Canaries 	Newark, New Jersey 	Prudential Field 	38,008
East 	New York Yankees 	New York City, New York 	Yankee Stadium 	46,537
East 	Ottawa Rockets 	Ottawa, Ontario 	Canadian Tire Ballpark 	29,505
East 	Tampa Bay Rays 	Saint Petersburg, Florida 	Tropicana Field 	42,735
East 	Toronto Blue Jays 	Toronto, Ontario 	Rogers Centre 	49,286
South 	Austin Thunderbirds 	Austin, Texas 	Tesla Ballpark 	39,510
South 	Dallas Rangers 	Arlington, Texas 	Globe Life Field 	40,300
South 	Fort Worth Toads 	Fort Worth, Texas 	Dickies Ballpark 	30,000
South 	Houston Astros 	Houston, Texas 	Minute Maid Park 	41,168
South 	Memphis Sounders 	Memphis, Tennessee 	AutoZone Park 	10,000
South 	New Orleans Bourbons 	New Orleans, Louisiana 	Smoothie King Field 	32,756
South 	Wichita Sunflowers 	Wichita, Kansas 	Intrust Bank Field 	9,807
West 	Calgary Antlers 	Calgary, Alberta 	Scotiabank Ballpark 	26,575
West 	Las Vegas Athletics 	Paradise, Nevada 	MGM Field 	35,000
West 	Los Angeles Angels 	Anaheim, California 	Angel Stadium 	45,517
West 	Portland Pines 	Portland, Oregon 	Portland Diamond Ballpark 	32,000
West 	San Jose Tridents 	San Jose, California 	SAP Field 	31,556
West 	Seattle Mariners 	Seattle, Washington 	T-Mobile Park 	47,929
West 	Utah Outlaws 	Salt Lake City, Utah 	Vivint Field 	35,336
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 	Indianapolis Cherokees 	Indianapolis, Indiana 	Victory Field 	12,230
Central 	Milwaukee Brewers 	Milwaukee, Wisconsin 	American Family Field 	41,900
Central 	Pittsburgh Pirates 	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 	PNC Park 	38,747
Central 	St. Louis Cardinals 	St. Louis, Missouri 	Busch Stadium 	45,494
Central 	Winnipeg Whales 	Winnipeg, Manitoba 	Canada Life Ballpark 	29,588
East 	Atlanta Braves 	Atlanta, Georgia 	Truist Park 	41,084
East 	Charlotte Crowns 	Charlotte, North Carolina 	Lendingtree Field 	34,000
East 	Miami Marlins 	Miami, Florida 	LoanDepot Park 	36,742
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 	Washington Nationals 	Washington, D.C. 	Nationals Park 	41,339
South 	Alabama Woodpeckers 	Birmingham, Alabama 	Regions Field 	8,500
South 	Nashville Stars 	Nashville, Tennessee 	First Horizon Park 	10,000
South 	Orlando Seals 	Orlando, Florida 	Amway Ballpark 	19,995
South 	Rio Grande Valley Fireballs	Edinburg, Texas 	Rio Grande Valley Ballpark 	9,950
South 	San Antonio Racers 	San Antonio, Texas 	Methodist Healthcare Field 	28,695
South 	Savannah Peaches 	Savannah, Georgia 	Enmarket Ballpark 	18,962
South 	Virginia Black Sox 	Norfolk, Virginia 	Norfolk Stadium 	24,658
West 	Arizona Diamondbacks 	Phoenix, Arizona 	Chase Field 	48,405
West 	Colorado Rockies 	Denver, Colorado 	Coors Field 	50,144
West 	Los Angeles Dodgers 	Los Angeles, California 	Dodger Stadium 	56,000
West 	Sacramento Hawks 	Sacramento, California 	Siemens Stadium 	31,010
West 	San Diego Padres 	San Diego, California 	Petco Park 	40,209
West 	San Francisco Giants 	San Francisco, California 	Oracle Park 	41,265
West 	Vancouver Orange 	Vancouver, British Columbia	Tim Horton’s Ballpark 	32,580
== 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.
=== 180 Games Season ===
With a lot of new teams being added to the MLB, the season will be expanded from 162 games to 180. The schedule will be broken down as follows: 
* 18 games vs. each division opponent (64 games total)
* 6 games vs. every other team in the league (76 games total)
* 6 games vs. each team in an interleague division (36 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 2025 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.
Category:SportsFan958