Edmontonians ponder Canada chasing new MLB franchise

The Toronto Blue Jays are one win away from capturing their third World Series title, and the hype around Canada’s team is bigger than it’s been at any point over the past thirty years.

But what if there was another Canadian team in the major league to cheer for?

“It would be cool because then I could actually go to the games,” said one Edmontonian CityNews spoke to.

Another saying, “I think that Canada does really well in baseball. A lot of love for the Blue Jays, but we need one on the west coast.”

Baseball fans on Edmonton’s Whyte Avenue want another Canadian MLB team, and it’s completely possible.

League commissioner Rob Manfred spoke with Sportsnet’s Blair and Barker a week ago, saying another team for the great white north makes a lot of sense.

“I think Vancouver’s a great city. I think that Canada has been unbelievably supportive of Major League Baseball. Another city in Canada clearly could work for us,” said Manfred.

And the discussion has some reminiscing the days of the Montreal Expos, a team that would play its final game in 2004.

“I grew up an Expos fan, to be honest, I had to switch to the Jays when the Expos got shut down. I think Vancouver could support a team. I think we should do it,” said one Edmontonian.

Edmonton has never had a team in the major league, but has always had a passionate baseball crowd that now rallies around the Edmonton Riverhawks.

“I’ve been to a Riverhawks game. It was really fun. It was almost sold out kind of midway through the season. There’s a lot of love for baseball here.”

One sports reporter says that the crowd is growing every year and is amplified by the Blue Jays’ success.

“It’s growing more and more, and it’s not just younger people, it’s older people, newcomers to Canada, people from all walks of life in the city who are now diehard Jays fans,” said Avry Lewis McDougall, an Edmonton sports reporter.

While hopes of adding another Canadian team continue to grow for some, right now, fans are focused on cheering for the Jays to win it all, so new fans can experience the rush of their favourite team being crowned champions.

“I was in Toronto when they won in ’92. It was life-changing,” said one Jays fan.

Even though discussions around expanding the major league have become more common in recent years, any potential changes will have to wait until the league’s collective bargaining agreement expires in 2026.