With so many Major League Baseball teams, it can be tough to keep track of which ones don’t have teams and which cities have multiple teams.
Cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, have two teams while some larger cities like Nashville and Portland don’t have one team.
So, what states don’t have baseball teams?
Contents
- What State has the most baseball teams?
- Why did the Dodgers Move to California?
- What Cities have two baseball teams?
- Why does Chicago have two baseball teams?
- Why does New York have two baseball teams?
- Why Does Los Angeles Have two Baseball teams?
- What big city does not have a baseball team?
- How many states have at least two baseball teams?
- Final Word
The following states don’t have Major League teams:
| Nebraska | Nevada |
| Oregon | Kentucky |
| North Dakota | Connecticut |
| Alaska | Kansas |
| New Hampshire | Delaware |
| New Mexico | Oklahoma |
| North Carolina | Wyoming |
| Hawaii | Arkansas |
| Rhode Island | Utah |
| Vermont | Iowa |
| Montana | Virginia |
| Alabama | West Virginia |
| Idaho | South Dakota |
| Indiana | South Carolina |
| Tennessee | Mississippi |
| New Jersey | Louisiana |
| Maine |
What State has the most baseball teams?
California has the most baseball teams with 5 MLB teams in the state.
The Bay area has the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics.
The Los Angeles area has both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The San Diego Padres are the other team.
The following is a breakdown of the MLB Teams by State:
| Arizona | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| California | Angels, Giants, Athletics, Padres, Dodgers |
| Colorado | Colorado Rockies |
| Florida | Miami Marlins, Tampa Rays |
| Georgia | Atlanta Braves |
| Illinois | Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox |
| Massachusetts | Boston Red Sox |
| Michigan | Detroit Tigers |
| Maryland | Baltimore Orioles |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Twins |
| Missouri | St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals |
| New York | New York Yankees, New York Mets |
| Texas | Houston Astros, Texas Rangers |
| Washington | Seattle Mariners |
| Wisconsin | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Washington DC | Washington Nationals |
| Ohio | Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds |
| Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies |
Here is a good look at the early history of teams and logos from 1876-2017:
Why did the Dodgers Move to California?
The Giants and Dodgers were not originally based in California and moved from New York.
The Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants were two of baseball’s biggest teams in Major League baseball’s early days.
Both teams faced financial difficulties and wanted new stadiums but were shot down by city planners and decided to bolt for California as both San Francisco and Los Angeles welcomed the teams with open arms.
The Giants and Dodgers moved to California in 1958 after baseball owners voted unanimously to approve the move.
What Cities have two baseball teams?
New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco/Oakland area each have two baseball teams.
The following teams are in these cities:
- New York City: New York Mets and New York Yankees
- Chicago: Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs
- Los Angeles: Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Bay Area: San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics
Why does Chicago have two baseball teams?
The Chicago Cubs were a founding member of the National League in 1876 and were known as the Chicago White Stockings until they changed their name to the Cus in 1903.
The Chicago White Sox were also one of the original 8 charter teams and was founded in 1901 and played games in the South Side of Chicago before eventually moving to Comiskey Park.
The Chicago metropolitan area is the third-largest in the country only behind New York and Los Angeles, so they have more than enough people to support two baseball teams that play on opposite sides of the city.
The Cubs are known as the “North Siders” team and the Chicago White Sox are known as the “South Siders.”
There was only one world series between the Cubs and White Sox which took place in 1906 with the White Sox edging the Cubs 4-2.
Why does New York have two baseball teams?
The Yankees have played in New York since 1903 while the New York Mets were founded in 1962 as a replacement for the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants who moved on to California.
New York had three baseball teams up until 1958 with the Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers, and New York Giants and New York is seen as one of the best baseball towns in the country with its deep-rooted history going back to the mid-1800s.
The Mets play in Queens at Citi Field while the Yankees play in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium which are only 10 miles away from one another.
The Yankees met the Mets in the 2000 World Series which was won by the Yankees 4-1.
Why Does Los Angeles Have two Baseball teams?
The Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958 because of the financial incentives of being one of the first teams out West.
The Angels were part of the MLB expansion in 1961 and played their first five seasons before moving to Anaheim.
The Los Angeles metro area has over 13 million people and easily supports two teams that are on different sides of the metro area.
The Dodgers have had more historic success than the Angels have had some of the best baseball players in league history.
What big city does not have a baseball team?
Here is a list of the largest cities in the US without MLB teams:
| City | Population (updated 2021) |
| San Antonio | 1.50 Million |
| Jacksonville | 890,467 |
| Indianapolis | 865,447 |
| Columbus | 878,553 |
| Charlotte | 857,425 |
| Nashville | 692,587 |
| Portland | 645,291 |
| Las Vegas | 643,773 |
Charlotte, Nashville, and Las Vegas make the most geographical sense and seem to be in markets that would do very well with attendance.
It will be interesting to see how the MLB does in the next couple of years as the game is gaining in popularity and we should get some news on the topic very soon.
Major League Baseball has been taking a hard look at expansion in recent years and several cities like Charlotte, Las Vegas, Portland, and even Montreal have been mentioned by the Commissioner as locations that are under consideration.
How many states have at least two baseball teams?
The following teams have more than one baseball team:
- Florida: (2) Tampa Rays and Miami Marlins
- New York (2) Mets and Yankees
- Illinois: (2)Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs
- Texas:(2) Houston Astros and Texas Rangers
- California: (5) SF Giants, LA Dodgers, LAA Angels, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres
- Ohio: (2) Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds
- Missouri: (2) Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals
- Pennsylvania: (2) Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies
Final Word
MLB League history is very interesting to research as it is one of the most historic sports that dates back to the 1800s.
The game will likely keep evolving and it will be fascinating to watch what happens as we move into the future.
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