The Real MLB Divisional Alignment
In 1969 MLB expanded and decided that both the American League and National League be divided into two divisions of six teams each. This also introduced a best-of-five divisional championship series between the two top teams. Below were the four divisions in 1969.
1969 AL East
In the AL East, the six teams were the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and the Washington Senators.
1969 AL West
In the AL West, the six teams were the California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, and the Seattle Pilots.
It’s obvious that these two divisions were decided purely on geographic locations, which makes total sense. It creates stronger rivalries the closer two teams are to each other.
1969 NL East
In the NL East, the six teams were the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the St. Louis Cardinals.
1969 NL West
In the NL West, the six teams were Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and the San Francisco Giants.
It’s here in the National League that we start to see a mix-up, especially in the NL West. Both the Cubs and Cardinals insisted on being placed in the same division with the Mets and Phillies. The idea was that having more games with Eastern teams would mean a more lucrative schedule. Also, not placing the Cardinals, Cubs, and Giants in the same division quelled any concerns over inequity in the National League divisions.
Realignments and Expansions
Since 1969, there have been three realignments and three expansions. This has resulted in the current three-division format and Wild Card playoff format. There will no doubt be expansions and realignments in the future as the league continues to grow and expand.
Reimagining
Let’s for a moment forget about the American League and National League. Let’s not worry about division inequity and focus only on team proximity as was intended in the original 1969 expansion. There are currently 30 teams in MLB covering 17 states and two countries.
Future NL East
In the NL East, we would have the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Washington Nationals.
This division would see both of the Florida teams in the same division with the Nationals and Orioles being separated by only 38.5 miles.
Future NL Central
In the NL Central, we would have the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Both of the Chicago teams make an appearance here and would stoke a serious rivalry. Kansas City and St. Louis would battle hard for the state of Missouri.
Future NL West
In the NL West, we would have the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and the Texas Rangers.
Two of the more recent expansion teams, the Diamondbacks and the Rockies both will live here. Also, the two Texas teams call this division home as well.
Future AL East
In the AL East, we would have the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The mother of all divisions is here with both the Mets and Yankees making an appearance. The battle for New York would be an intense one every year as well as the battle for Pennsylvania. Throw in the Red Sox and you’ve got a truly explosive division.
Future AL Central
In the AL Central, we have the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Toronto Blue Jays.
With three smaller market teams in this division, the match-ups would be all the more important for determining the big fish in the small pond. Toronto could also be a possibility for the new AL East, but they have much closer proximity to Detroit and Cleveland.
Future AL West
In the AL West, we have the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, and the Seattle Mariners.
This is literally the battle for the west coast. Four of the five California teams call the AL West home. Having both LA teams not only in the same league, but the same division as well would create the argument of New York vs. LA for supreme baseball city.
Conclusion
So, there it is. A complete reimagining and restructuring of all 30 MLB teams and six divisions. Will this ever happen? Probably not, but it’s fun to imagine a world in which proximity determines division structure.
