Major League Baseball (MLB) is expected to expand from the current 30 teams to 32 teams by the early 2030s. There is also a chance that a couple of existing teams (Chicago White Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays) may be considering relocating. When these possibilities are discussed, two cities in North Carolina, Charlotte and Raleigh, are mentioned as possible locales for an MLB team.
In the past population has been noted as a potential issue. Are there enough people to support major league baseball? The numbers say that is no longer an issue. The Charlotte metro area is already larger than five existing MLB metros, and the Raleigh metropolitan area is larger than two existing MLB metros.
ESPN recently listed their thoughts on whom the top ten cities are for expansion (San Antonio, Charlotte, Mexico City, Montreal, Nashville, Orlando, Portland, Raleigh, San Jose and Salt Lake City). Charlotte is larger than all but Mexico City, Montreal and Orlando, whereas Raleigh is larger than Nashville.
One factor MLB will consider is will a team in Charlotte attract people living outside the region to visit the region for games and spend money on game tickets, food, lodging and other purchases, I say it would. An MLB team in Charlotte would likely pull fans from central and western North Carolina as well as from parts of South Carolina. Similarly, a team in Raleigh would see people driving from central and eastern North Carolina and from parts of Virginia to see major league baseball in person.
The biggest roadblock to an MLB team in North Carolina may be the stadium where the team will play. Stadiums are also very, very expensive. The stadium in Las Vegas currently being constructed for the new Las Vegas Athletics is expected to cost between $1.75 and $2 billion. The projected cost of expanding the minor league Charlotte Knights’ stadium for MLB use is put at between $500 million and $1 billion.
Who is going to pay for this? Recent history tells us that it is usually a combination of the owner and taxpayers. Are the residents ready to help pick up the tab for the stadium costs? We will see in the next few years.
