From a pitch clock, to bigger bases, to banning the shift, Major League Baseball has seen a number of substantial changes in recent years. The biggest change, however, may be yet to come. MLB hasn’t expanded the league since the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays joined the league for the 1998 season, and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred hasn’t been shy about his plan to expand the league to 32 teams before his contract expires in 2029. With expansion will likely come realignment based on geography, so MLB could see a massive change to its divisional structure within the next few years. If Manfred gets his way, however, it’ll be a missed opportunity for the White Sox.
When asked about the possibility of crosstown rivals being in the same division during an interview on WFAN radio in New York last week, Manfred poured cold water on the idea:
“I think you would try to keep the two-team cities separate,” Manfred said. “That would be my thinking”.
Rob Manfred tells @CMacWFAN that he would like MLB to expand to 32 teams and that the league could realign along geographical lines in eight divisions of four if that happens: pic.twitter.com/h0Vh4nvmxB
— SNY (@SNYtv) January 8, 2026
A massive missed opportunity for MLB
In my opinion, the opportunity to play in the same division as the Cubs would reignite a rivalry that’s been mostly dead for the past few years. As much as the White Sox and Cubs try their best to hype up the rivalry between the two teams, I’ve found myself just not caring much about the team on the north side. They play in opposite leagues and both teams have spent many of the recent years being irrelevant, so their yearly matchups just don’t have the stakes they could have. If realignment put them in the same division and the two teams got to play each other 10-13 times a year and directly competed for a playoff spot, it would create much higher stakes.
The White Sox and Cubs have played each other regularly since interleague play began in 1997, with original competition dating back to 1903. Of the 152 games between the two teams in baseball history, the Cubs hold a slight majority at 77-75. The two teams have been historically evenly matched, and adding more games between them could make the competition even tighter. As it stands right now though, I consider the White Sox foes in the AL Central much bigger rivals than the Cubs.
Crosstown rivalries becoming division rivalries would reignite passion for the game of baseball in several of the country’s largest cities. It seems like exactly the kind of thing Manfred and MLB would want. A world where the Mets and Yankees, Dodgers and Angels, and White Sox and Cubs compete with each other to make the postseason gives fans in those cities extra incentive to go to and watch games. To me, there’s very little downside and a ton of upside.
The finalized plans for expansion and realignment have yet to be determined, but if commissioner Manfred’s plan comes to fruition, I think it’ll be a major missed opportunity for MLB. The league has a chance to reignite historic rivalries and drive renewed interest in their sport, and they’d be silly to pass it up.