Of the major sports, MLB has the most metropolitan areas with multiple teams. Having more than one team in a city has been common throughout baseball history.
Relocation has been common, too. Teams have switched coasts, leaving cities without a team or leaving a void for another franchise to fill. Cities with more than one team offer fans a local rivalry, which often leads to packed crowds and raucous atmospheres. Any kind of rivalry is a factor to consider when evaluating the baseball betting markets.
Do Any Cities Have Two MLB Teams?
Three cities have two MLB teams. Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago each have two teams.
The Los Angeles Angels are considered an LA-based franchise, as their ballpark is located in Anaheim, which is technically its own city. The Angels were known as the Anaheim Angels from 1997 to 2004.
With the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs, Chicago is the only city to have had the same two teams since the American League was founded in 1901. Boston, St. Louis, and Philadelphia each had two teams in the first half of the 20th century, but each city had a team leave in the 1950s.
Sporting a population of over 2.2 million, Houston is the largest American city with only one MLB team. The Houston Astros were only founded in 1962.
Philadelphia is the largest media market with only one team. From 1901 to 1954, the Philadelphia Phillies were accompanied by the Philadelphia Athletics in the City of Brotherly Love.
Why Does New York Have Two Baseball Teams?
New York has two baseball teams because of its size and place in baseball history. Since baseball was first played professionally in the 19th century, there have been various teams in New York.
The New York Yankees have been competing in the American League since 1903. The New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers were fierce rivals in the National League until they both moved to California in 1958.
The Dodgers had various other names during their time in New York, and Brooklyn was generally considered its own city at the time, rather than a borough of New York City.
After the Dodgers and Giants left, the New York Mets were founded in 1962. This was a return to the New York Metropolitans name, which was used by the city’s first baseball team in 1880.
The rivalry between the Mets and Yankees is not on the same level as the Giants and Dodgers or the Yankees and Boston Red Sox. MLB betting interest in New York is still bound to pick up when the Subway Series is on, and attendance is always excellent.
The Mets and Yankees have only met once in the World Series, with the Yankees winning in five games in 2000.
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