MLB commissioner Rob Manfred teases major moves he wants to accomplish before retirement as he eyes expansion

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has made galore changes to the sport, and he's eyeing a fewer much earlier helium calls it a vocation 3 years from now.

Manfred, 67, plans to discontinue erstwhile his declaration runs retired successful January 2029, but earlier helium does, helium wants to adhd 2 much enlargement teams. MLB has not expanded since 1997.

"It would beryllium bully for us. Fundamentally, a batch of cities that person Major League Baseball, erstwhile radical privation your product, you got to find a mode to merchantability it to them, it’s benignant of basic," Manfred told New York's WFAN earlier this week. 

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Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announces the Chicago Cubs volition big the 2027 All-Star Game astatine Wrigley Field.  (David Banks/Imagn Images)

"Number two, it does a ton for america from a format perspective. You would realign, you would bash it on geographic lines, which would alleviate – could alleviate – a ton of the question load that’s connected players. Remember, we inquire our players [to play] 162 times successful 186 days… You tin destruct a batch of that question and marque it little burdensome, which would beryllium a large happening successful presumption of subordinate wellness and safety."

Manfred besides hinted astatine perchance going with an NBA oregon NHL-style format and having Eastern and Western conferences.

"If you realign geographically, you would look much similar different sports, wherever you play up eastbound into the World Series, and westbound into the World Series, and that 10:00 crippled connected the West Coast that sometimes is simply a occupation for america becomes a primetime crippled connected the West Coast for the 2 teams that are playing. So there’s a batch of advantages to it."

Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. speaks during the 2024 Grapefruit League Spring Training Media Day astatine George M. Steinbrenner Field connected Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, successful Tampa, Florida. (Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Manfred said if MLB were to spell to 32 teams, the NFL exemplary of 8 divisions with 4 teams each seems similar the likeliest outcome. However, helium "would effort to support two-team cities (in) separate" divisions, meaning the New York Yankees and Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels would inactive not beryllium part rivals.

The commissioner besides said docket changes person been successful the works, including "split seasons" and "in-season tournaments."

"We bash recognize that 162 [games] is simply a agelong pull. I deliberation the trouble successful accomplishing those kinds of in-season events is that you astir inevitably commencement talking astir less regular-season games," Manfred said.

Baseball purists person not loved the changes Manfred made, but they person gotten radical to the ballpark, arsenic attendance has accrued successful each of the past 3 seasons — it besides should beryllium noted that 2 insignificant league ballparks were utilized this twelvemonth afloat clip for the Tampa Bay Rays and Athletics. Attendance hadn’t accrued successful 3 consecutive seasons since it did truthful each twelvemonth from 2004 to 2007.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. looks connected during the MLB Draft presented by Nike astatine Lumen Field connected Sunday, July 9, 2023, successful Seattle, Washington.  (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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One alteration coming successful 2026 is the automated balls and strikes system. Each squad gets 2 challenges apiece to commencement a game, and if the situation is successful, the squad keeps the situation to usage aboriginal successful the game. Challenges indispensable beryllium made lone by the pitcher, catcher oregon batter immediately.

Manfred's pace-of-play accent has besides shortened nine-inning games from an mean of 3 hours and 10 minutes to 2:36 successful 2024 and 2:38 this past season. The Athletics are besides moving to Las Vegas successful 2028, marking the archetypal clip an enactment volition person moved since the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals up of the 2005 season.

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