Commentary: It’s time for baseball to realign its divisions. Here’s what it should look like

In 2022, the Angels will play 19 video games towards the Texas Rangers and none towards the San Diego Padres.

In 2023, the Angels will play 14 video games towards the Rangers and three towards the Padres.

That’s progress. However the subsequent frontier of schedule reform ought to contain radical realignment, wherein divisions can be organized not by conventional league construction however by geography — extra video games towards groups nearer to dwelling, with much less journey for gamers and a extra enticing dwelling schedule for followers. The Angels and Padres won’t have a rivalry now, however one might develop after taking part in one another 12 months in and 12 months out.

Main League Baseball is predicted to think about radical realignment, however solely after the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays resolve their long-running searches for a brand new ballpark, and after growth to 32 groups.

That may very well be years away, however why wait? Let’s assume the A’s and Rays keep the place they’re, and growth groups are awarded to Montreal and Nashville. Right here’s our plan:

*The Cardinals and Cubs have considered one of baseball’s three best rivalries. We’ll preserve that by making one change within the division-heavy schedules: all the Pirates’ video games towards the Cubs go to the Cardinals, and all the Cardinals’ video games towards the Marlins go to the Pirates. When the Pirates get severe about competing, MLB can relegate one other NL Central staff to play a schedule heavier on the Marlins and lighter on the Cardinals.