MLB Players Name Nashville as Clear Favorite for Expansion Team in Survey

Tennessee’s capital is the top choice for a new MLB team among players surveyed recently.

It has been 25 years since MLB added teams, but with the Athletics expected to move to Las Vegas, the idea of expansion is back in the conversation. While Las Vegas appears to be off the table as an expansion candidate, there are other cities without a major league team that could be an option if MLB does decide to expand.

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In an anonymous player survey conducted by The Athletic, one of the questions posed regarded the best cities for expansion. According to the 100 players who answered that question, there was an overwhelming favorite, with 69% saying that Nashville is the best expansion market.

Montreal was second on the survey with 10% of the vote, while Charlotte, Austin, Portland, Vancouver and Salt Lake City received at least 2% of the vote. Orlando, Raleigh and San Juan, Puerto Rico, also received votes.

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It makes sense that Nashville is a popular pick, as it has quickly become a premier travel destination. Tennessee already boasts the NFL’s Titans and NHL’s Predators in Nashville and the NBA’s Grizzlies in Memphis.

Montreal can be seen as a logical choice as well, since the city lost the Expos after the 2004 season, when the franchise became the Washington Nationals. That also happened to be the last time an MLB team relocated.