MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred recently has been in the news for discussing adding two new teams and realigning into eight, four-team divisions. I think baseball would do better to realign into four, eight-team divisions, with an eye toward preserving rivalries and reducing travel.
With four divisions of eight teams, each team could play each division rival 12 times (for a total of 84 games) and every other team three times (for a total of 72 games). That would give everyone 156 games, as compared to the current 162.
The divisions would include expansion teams in Nashville and Portland and would break down like this:
NORTHEAST—Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, N.Y. Mets, N.Y. Yankees, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Toronto
SOUTHEAST—Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston, Miami, Nashville, Tampa Bay, Texas, Washington
MIDWEST—Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Colorado, Detroit, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minnesota, St. Louis
WEST—Arizona, Las Vegas, L.A. Angels, L.A. Dodgers, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle
Division champions would get first-round playoff byes, with eight wild cards playing in the wild-card round and four emerging to meet the division champions.
