BURST
It’s a big swing with a strong likelihood of striking out, but Vancouver’s mayor is pitching the city as the future home of a Major League Baseball team .
With the league mulling expansion from 30 to 32 teams, Mayor Ken Sim plans to introduce a motion to “initiate an open and competitive process towards bringing an MLB franchise to Vancouver,” according to a statement released by the mayor’s office on Tuesday.
“Our city has a strong sports culture and a proven track record of supporting professional teams,” said Sim. “With the MLB publicly expressing interest in league expansion in the near future, we see an opportunity to position Vancouver as the next home for a franchise.”
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If passed by council, the motion calls for city staff to launch “an ‘expression of interest’ process to identify a qualified ownership group capable of advancing a franchise bid. The process would require interested groups to demonstrate financial capacity, experience, and a clear plan to support a successful team.”
“Financial capacity” is the biggest “if” behind the idea. Forbes’s 2026 list estimates the most valuable team in baseball, the New York Yankees, is worth $8.5 billion, while the average MLB team is worth $2.9 billion. Canada’s only existing team, the Toronto Blue Jays, is valued at $2.5 billion.
The expansion fee for the two new MLB teams is expected to be in the range of $2.2 billion. Deep pockets are a must to play in the league.
What might also make the pitch difficult is the strong level of support for the Blue Jays in the B.C. market. B.C. fans of the Toronto team — which just took the powerhouse L.A. Dodgers to the seventh game of the World Series last fall — often pack T-Mobile Park in Seattle — whose Mariners also have fans north of the border.
The only other Canadian team to join MLB was the Expos, which played in Montreal from 1969 to 2004 before moving to Washington, D.C.
Vancouver baseball fans have for many years shown strong support for the Single-A Vancouver Canadians, which is also a Jays affiliate. But the scale is vastly different. Nat Bailey Stadium has a capacity of 6,500, while an average MLB ballpark has upwards of 40,000 seats or more.
Still, Sim is convinced Vancouver should step to the plate.
“Vancouver has long been identified as a potential expansion market for the MLB, and continues to demonstrate strong support for baseball at both the major and minor league levels,” said Sim.
“This is an opportunity to bring something truly special to Vancouver,” he said. “An MLB team would be a significant step forward for our city and create lasting memories for fans across generations.”
The motion has not been published yet, so there are no details such as potential ownership groups or specifics such as whether the city would be willing to help finance a baseball-specific stadium or pay for a renovation of B.C. Place.
Sim said he plans to introduce the motion at the meeting of the committee on city finance and services on April 22.