Get ready for a heated debate, because Major League Baseball's expansion plans are a topic that has fans divided!
The Athletic's Fan Survey: A Look at MLB's Future
The Athletic, a renowned sports publication, recently conducted an annual survey, asking baseball enthusiasts a crucial question: "Which potential expansion cities would you most like to see get a new franchise?"
The survey narrowed down the choices to six cities with active expansion efforts: Austin, Nashville, Orlando, Portland, Raleigh, and Salt Lake City. Respondents had to choose their top two picks.
And the results are in! Nashville emerged as the clear favorite, with an impressive 73% of the 12,901 respondents voting for the Music City. This solidifies Nashville's position as a frontrunner for one of the two expansion franchises MLB aims to establish before Commissioner Rob Manfred retires in 2029. Interestingly, Manfred has expressed a preference for one team in the East and one in the West.
But here's where it gets controversial...
The West Coast Battle: Portland vs. Salt Lake City
While Nashville takes the cake, the race for the second spot is a tight one, especially between Portland and Salt Lake City. In a previous story, The Athletic declared Salt Lake City the frontrunner in the West. However, fan sentiment seems to differ.
Portland secured a distant second place behind Nashville, with 47% of the votes. Salt Lake City trailed even further, receiving 30% of the fan support.
Portland has a head start, with a group of investors, including NFL star Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara, initiating the Portland Diamond Project back in 2017. On the other hand, Salt Lake City's Big League Utah, led by the Larry H. Miller Company, was established more recently in 2023.
Salt Lake City scored a notable win when they lured former Atlanta Braves star Dale Murphy, an Oregon native and two-time National League MVP, away from his advisory role with the Portland Diamond Project. Murphy, who has called Utah home since retiring from baseball in 1993, is now a key advocate for Salt Lake City's MLB aspirations.
Raleigh came in fourth with 26% of the votes, followed by Austin at 12% and Orlando at 5%. Interestingly, the 'other' category received 8% of the votes, with Montreal being the top write-in choice.
Fan Opinion: Do They Want More Teams?
The Athletic also gauged fan sentiment on expanding MLB to 32 teams. The results were intriguing: only a slight majority, 51%, were in favor, while 31% opposed the idea. A notable 18% had no opinion on the matter.
Comparing these findings to previous years, The Athletic noted that in 2022, 61.7% were in favor of expansion, but the survey lacked a 'no opinion' option. In 2023, 72.2% of respondents supported expansion.
"Maybe expansion was more top of mind at that point," The Athletic suggested.
Salt Lake City's Vision: A River of Dreams
Salt Lake City's MLB dreams are certainly alive and well. Last week, the Larry H. Miller Company announced plans to restore the Jordan River as part of their $3.5 billion mixed-use development on the west side, which includes a potential site for a major league stadium.
In addition to The Athletic's endorsement, popular sports radio personality Chris "Mad Dog" Russo predicted that Salt Lake City, alongside Nashville, would be home to baseball's two new teams. This prediction aligns with the views of other baseball analysts over the past couple of years.
Steve Starks, CEO of the Miller Company, shared with the Deseret News that they are collaborating with ballpark architects to finalize site plans, considering factors like stadium orientation and seating capacity. The general vision is for the stadium to be located on the west side of the river, facing the majestic Wasatch Mountains, with the potential for home run balls to land in the river.
Senator Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, envisioned a scene reminiscent of McCovey Cove outside Oracle Park in San Francisco as he discussed the Miller project at a news conference last Thursday.
"This is the continued momentum on our promise to this area, to this neighborhood, to our community, to the river, to the lake, and to our state," Fillmore said.
"With this dream: That in April of 2032, this river will be full of kayaks, canoes, and fishing nets, as people eagerly await the first home run by a left-handed batter, hit into this river, for Utah's Major League Baseball team."
So, what do you think? Should MLB expand to these cities? And which city do you think will ultimately secure the second expansion franchise? Let us know in the comments!
