How Salt Lake City stacks up against cities competing for an MLB team

Conceptual rendering of a future MLB stadium on the Jordan River. | Photo courtesy of Larry H. Miller Real Estate A new report in Forbes took a look at how 10 potential Major League Baseball expansion cities stack up in their efforts to land a team.

Although baseball writer Maury Brown didn’t rank the markets, three stood out among those he highlighted: Salt Lake City, Portland and Nashville. That’s not surprising given they are widely seen as the top contenders. “As this report shows, the likes of Salt Lake, Portland, and Nashville may currently have a bit of a leg up compared to the competition.

But a lot can happen between now and when MLB officially announces the two markets it will expand into,” Brown wrote. Baseball hasn’t officially started the expansion process, but Commissioner Rob Manfred has said he wants something in place by the time he retires in January 2029. New teams likely wouldn’t begin play until at least 2032 or 2033.

Manfred has said that he prefers one expansion franchise in the West and one in the East. But, as Brown points out, if a market somewhere in the middle of the country stepped forward with the funding and other considerations met, it would be hard for the league to ignore. That means where we are now could potentially change.