Fixing MLB Series: Expansion and Relocation
Offense goes south
Runs-per-game has declined steeply since 2019, and the 2021 league batting average of .236 is the lowest in history, beating the previous low of 237 in 1968. A season that led to MLB lowering the pitcher’s mound by five inches.
Big League hitters struggled mightily at the beginning of last season. The pitchers were far ahead of their counterparts at the plate, and fans complained about boring games. For a palpable uptick in offense, MLB resorted to frisking pitchers for illegal substances, which worked to a point but
Should MLB Expand?
Based on the analysis above, we absolutely must expand to improve hitting as a .236 batting average doesn’t make for entertaining baseball. Not only that, but MLB should expand to make each league 16 teams. Further, they expand the current playoff format and make for better regionalization of baseball. So, the answer to this question is yes.
If so, where?
With the Oakland Athletics possibly on the move, we will talk about three possible locations. One for the A’s and two new expansion franchises. First, if the A’s leave the Bay Area, they should relocate to Las Vegas to re-join their NFL counterparts. There is also talk of Portland, Oregon, as well as other locations. However, the one that makes the most sense for them is Las Vegas.
For the two new franchises, the locations to consider are New Orleans, Memphis, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Portland, San Antonio, and Indianapolis.