MLB Expansion Teams: Which cities are in the running to land newest baseball teams?

Will there be any MLB expansion teams popping up on the horizon? It's a tantalizing thought, and based on new communique from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, it looks very possible.

Manfred has been endorsing the idea of expanding the MLB to include 32 total teams in the coming years. Currently, there are 30 teams -- 15 in the National League and 15 in the American League.

In order to increase the number of teams, some cities will inevitably become hosts to MLB expansion teams. Today, we're looking at some of the cities where such a team has the best chance of surviving.

"Rob Manfred wants MLB to expand to 32 teams, per @DVNJr" - @ FOX Sports: MLB

The most recent of the MLB expansion teams was the Arizona Diamondbacks. The minor-league team won 65 games in 1998 and went on to defeat the New York Yankees in the 2001 World Series.

The criteria for a new team is based on population, general interest in baseball, and existing infrastructure. For decades, the top city to host an expansion team has been Nashville, Tennessee.

Nashville, known for its deep association with country music, has been an entertainment center for generations. The biggest ballpark in the city is First Horizon Park, home of the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.

If Nashville were to get a team, they would need a new stadium. First Horizon currently only seats about 12,000. By comparison, Tropicana Field is the smallest stadium in the MLB and can seat over 40,000 fans at Tampa Bay Rays games.

Another city that has been floated is Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte has roughly 900,000 inhabitants and already hosts successful NFL, MLS, and NBA teams. Local businessman Rick Curti has been at the forefront of the North Carolina city's bid to be one of the newest MLB expansion teams. Some think his connections within the baseball world will bode well for his cause.

Although Nashville and Charlotte appear to be front-running, locales in other cities like Las Vegas, Vancouver, and Portland, there is also considerable interest. However, none of these cities have existing stadiums that are MLB-ready.

"New MLB divisions with expansion teams" - @ Gatodejazz

There is also the question of geographic exclusivity. Portland, Oregon is an example of this. Although the city would likely be able to sustain a team, the Seattle Mariners mightn't like the competition. The same can be said for a team in Vancouver.

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The risky business of MLB expansion teams

Sports franchises can be very fluid. Everything is going well until it isn't. This is evidenced by the multitude of teams who have needed to pack it in due to low support. The stakes are incredibly high, and with an apparent fee of $2 billion to join the league, there is little margin for error.