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The next MLB season will be launched with a new set of rules and a new schedule. Despite murmurs of a 32-team expansion, it will still be 30 teams in six divisions competing for their respective divisional titles and eventually the World Series.
Jim Bowden, former Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals GM, came up with his own interpretation of this new, expanded league in an article for The Athletic. It was meant to be a fun exercise, and Bowden dubbed it the "Bowden Realignment Plan."
Naturally, MLB fans on Twitter had their own takes on the new arrangement. While some absolutely detested the idea, others were quite open to it. One fan's tweet gave an idea of the potential backlash the idea might receive on social media. Safe to say, he was right.
Trending
"When my kids ask me why WW3 started:"
There was a large subsection who just wanted to watch the Battle of the Mid (Atlantic). Another tweeted:
"It’s criminal that this division didn’t exist in 2021. Watching the 52-110 Orioles, 61-101 Pirates, and 65-97 Nationals slug it out for a Mid-Atlantic Division Title with an expansion team would’ve been must-watch television."
"That Mid-Atlantic division is a juggernaut."
Some wanted their dose of cross-town rivalry:
"HOO BOY! Now this I can actually root for to happen. Angels and Dodgers in the same division? Hell yeah!"
Mostly, fans just said no. One tweeted:
"I hate any realignment that puts teams from the same city in the same division. What's the point?"
"This better never fucking happen," another tweeted.
"Nahhh..Keep baseball the way it is.."
"Get this shit outta here man."
"Good story. I detest this idea."
New rules in MLB
The new MLB season will feature some new rules, keeping the younger target audience in mind.
A pitch clock has been introduced, and there will be restrictions for defensive shifts. The sizes of the bases are also being increased. The new rules have triggered a lot of discussions on Twitter. It will be interesting to see if these changes will have the desired effect.
