MLB expansion and realignment? Commissioner Rob Manfred suggests it could happen on ESPN's Little League Classic broadcast

The Yankees and the Mets in the same division?

It could be a possibility one day, based on what MLB commissioner Rob Manfred discussed on air Sunday night during ESPN's telecast of the Mets vs. Mariners in the Little League Classic.

Manfred said that baseball would consider expanding from its current group of 30 teams and that such a move could mean realigning divisions and teams geographically. 

"If we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign," Manfred said. "We could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel."

Manfred also suggested that realignment would benefit the postseason broadcasts where two west coast teams would be playing in the late Eastern time slot.

Rob Manfred says future expansion would provide an “opportunity to geographically realign”pic.twitter.com/RXAvmLFTf5

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 18, 2025

The last time MLB expanded was in 1998 when the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays were added. MLB's last realignment, albeit a minor one, came in 2013 when the Houston Astros moved from National League Central division to the American League West. 

The collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players' union is set to expire on Dec. 1, 2026. Any expansion and realignment discussions likely would be part of those negotiations.