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Minnesota Twins Preparing to Change Divisions?
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- Minnesota Twins Preparing to Change Divisions?
Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
As the Minnesota Twins slog through the final months of their 2025 season , there are some major changes coming to the 64-year Major League Baseball organization's future. Unfortunately, those changes do not include new majority owners, after the Pohlad family decided last week to pull the team off the market.
The Twins will have new minority owners. Once the deal — which former team president Dave St. Peter confirmed over the weekend includes two new investment groups; one out of Minnesota and one from out East — is approved by the MLB, it'll be the first time the Pohlads have had limited partners in the team since 2002.
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Rob Manfred reveals expansion and MLB division realignment plans
What the new minority owners mean for the MN Twins' future on the field, if anything, has yet to be revealed. But MLB commissioner Rob Manfred made an announcement on Monday that is sure to have a MASSIVE effect on, not just the league's future, but the Twins' too.
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While doing an interview at the Little League Classic, Manfred revealed the league's plan to expand with two brand new organizations, by the time he retires in 2029, at which time we will see massive MLB division realignment that better suits its current geography.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said during the Little League Classic broadcast that he can see expansion and realignment in the near future pic.twitter.com/0RBvNJ36wZ
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 18, 2025
"I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign. I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players, in terms of travel. I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN because you'd be playing out of the East, out of the West and that 10 o'clock time slot, where we sometimes get Boston-Anaheim would be two West Coast teams. That 10 o'clock slot that's a problem for us sometimes becomes a real opportunity for our West Coast audience."
In his interview on ESPN, broadcast, Manfred did not hint at where these new teams will be located, outside of at least one of them being on the west coast.
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Where will the new MLB teams be located?
According to The Athletic , however, the two leaders in the MLB expansion clubhouse are Salt Lake City and Nashville. There are also rumors that Portland may be able to pry that west coast slot away from SLC.
So, what does all of this expansion/realignment move mean for the Minnesota Twins? Well, Major League Baseball reportedly wants to be an eight division league, with four teams per division. If true, that means a massive shakeup in divisions… not just in geography, but in name too.
Related: Traded Minnesota Twins Reliever Carted Off Field
More than likely, the AL Central and NL Central with cease to exist. Replacing the Central division in each league will likely be AL/NL North and South divisions, just like what we saw happen in the NFL, when they went to the same four division, two league format back in 2002 .
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Not only would the MN Twins play in a new division, if this is how it all goes down, but they will undoubtedly have different teams in the new AL North, as well… if they don't end up switching to the National League, which can't be totally ruled out.
Sweeping MLB realignment = MAJOR changes for Minnesota Twins?
Below, I made a realistic map of what the league could look like, following MLB division realignment. In this plausible new world, the Twins do stay in the American League, landing in the AL North Division.
At their side are familiar rivals, the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Lions. Joining the AL North is current interleague border rival, the Milwaukee Brewers .
| AL North |
AL South |
AL East |
AL West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twins |
|||
| White Sox |
Royals |
||
| Tigers |
Rangers |
*Salt Lake City |
|
| Brewers |
Orioles |
Angels |
|
| NL North |
NL South |
NL East |
NL West |
| *Nashville |
Giants |
||
| Rays |
|||
| Guardians |
My main goal with this map was to make Major League Baseball as geographically sound as possible, without completely blowing up the National and American leagues or foiling long-standing division rivals who have turned their regularly scheduled matchups into decades of baseball war.
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Thus, the Cubs and Cardinals remain in the same division, but the Cleveland Guardians move to the NL, along with the Tampa Bay Rays . Meanwhile, the AL West becomes the home of the newly formed team out of Salt Lake City and Nashville falls into the newly created NL South, along with the Braves, Rays and Marlins.
Related: Another New MN Twins Arm Selected as Injury Ends Rookie's Season
As for the Minnesota Twins, this is only one version of what could happen. Because they are one of the most northern teams located on the MLB map, one of the two North divisions is almost a guarantee. But whether that is in the National or American League, is still TBD.
Who will hate relocation the most? Maybe no team… but it's most likely the Rockies, Royals and two Texas teams will have the furthest travel distance, no matter which league or division they wind up in.
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