Major League Baseball plans to expand from 30 to 32 teams at some point in the near future, and Raleigh should be at the top of their list.
A suggestion to bring a team to the 919 gained recent traction thanks to Carolina Hurricanes majority owner Tom Dundon. The billionaire went public in early October when he told online sports host David Glenn he was interested in bringing an MLB team to North Carolina.
“I know I’m biased, but I think Raleigh is the best place in the country for a new MLB team,” said Dundon. “And when I say that, I think we have the facts to back that up.”
The triangle area is one of the fastest growing in the country with a current population of over 2 million. This makes the Raleigh market similar to other MLB cities like Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Cincinnati.
Another one of the statistics that will catch MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s attention is the TV market. The Raleigh/Durham TV market is the largest in the nation without a locally or regionally broadcasted MLB team and is already larger than those of several major MLB cities
Beyond statistics, an MLB team would blossom in the Triangle because it would have very little attendance competition from other year-round sports such as MLS or the NFL.
Baseball season starts in early April, and the playoffs go through October, meaning it would possibly overlap with hockey for a few days in April and NC State college football in September. With little overlap from other sporting events in the area, this would allow for increased ticket sales and TV ratings.
The Carolina Hurricanes are proof that professional sports teams can work in Raleigh. The Canes last year averaged 19,526 fans per game, which is near 100% of capacity and was second-best in the NHL.
Recently Dundon signed a long-term lease with the Centennial Authority to keep the team at PNC Arena for the long term, along with a $300 million renovation that is planned for the arena as well as the right to develop 80 acres of open land around the arena. This area could be perfect for an MLB stadium and is located in the middle of the Triangle.
Another alternate location for a stadium would be in Raleigh’s Downtown South. The large area of underdeveloped land has a lot of potential for a stadium and at one point was intended for an MLS stadium until it fell through with Charlotte receiving the team in 2019.
With a new team and stadium comes high costs, and it needs to be profitable as well as beneficial to the area. MLB has 81 home games per season. With people traveling in for games, staying at hotels and eating food out, it makes the team and stadium an investment.
With the backing of a billionaire owner and advocacy groups, Raleigh could become a frontrunner in the expansion bid.
A group trying to put Raleigh on the map for an expansion is MLB Raleigh, which is a collective of local creatives, business owners and residents who love baseball and who want to work alongside the community to help put Raleigh in the conversation for a team.
The Raleigh area can sustain and bear an additional professional sports team in addition to its college and NHL teams. With a fast-growing population, passionate fanbase and a large TV market, an MLB team should be in Raleigh.
The MLB would be a perfect fit in Raleigh, and the area should be highly considered when the time comes for an expansion in the MLB.
