Some huge news came out of nowhere like a fly ball on Tuesday morning, with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim revealing his hopes of bringing an MLB team to the city.
But is the idea a home run or is it just a pipe dream?
A lot has changed in the past 20 years in the Vancouver sports landscape, and the city is far from what it was when it couldn’t maintain an NBA basketball team. The Vancouver Whitecaps have seen resounding success as an MLS soccer team from a fan perspective, albeit with some management struggles.
Can the city support an expansion MLB baseball team in the same way? How are Vancouver residents reacting to the news?
Sim’s announcement was apparently in direct response to interest from “prospective groups.” The MLB itself has publicly stated that it hopes to expand to 32 teams in the next few years, up from the current roster of 30.
If approved by Vancouver City Council next week, the motion would launch an open and competitive process to identify an ownership group capable of leading a franchise bid.
Hundreds of people commented in response to the Daily Hive Urbanized breaking story about Ken’s announcement.
BREAKING… Mayor Ken Sim is calling for the launch of a bidding process to bring a Major League Baseball expansion franchise to Vancouver.
“We see an opportunity to position Vancouver as the next home for a franchise.” #MLB #bcpoli #vanpolihttps://t.co/9ihs8g9UXh
— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) April 14, 2026
Many suggested that the City should focus on more pressing issues, like retaining the Whitecaps.
Someone incredulously posted on X, saying, “How about you save the Whitecaps first!”
Others pointed to the NBA as an example of why it wouldn’t work, but again, the Grizzlies were a shattered dream in a very different Vancouver than what it is today.
Sports analysts Black Price and Rob Fai offered similar thoughts. Price said Vancouver should “solve the Whitecaps first.” Fai suggested other cities are way more obvious choices for the MLB.
Must be a slow news day.
Let me save the City some time and money.
Major League Baseball has several ready-to-go, shovels at the ready potential bids from cities with serious buyers (Nashville, Salt Lake, Portland, etc.)
We have a 72 cent dollar, no stadium, and a Major… pic.twitter.com/2e2jmJMmCZ
— Rob Fai (@RobFai) April 14, 2026
Like Fai, some pointed to the obvious lack of a baseball stadium in Vancouver, something that City officials no doubt have already thought about and have been thinking about well before this announcement.
Some feel that another Canadian city deserves a team before Vancouver.
In no way should Canada get another MLB team that doesn’t go to Montreal,bring back the expos
— Stephen Greer (@stwg14) April 14, 2026
Others offered their own theories.
“Sounds like some big plans for the old Hastings Racecourse,” one X user suggested.
Some don’t feel like Vancouver could support an MLB team.
This would be awesome, but I live in Vancouver, and there’s no way this city could support an MLB team.
Basketball, absolutely yes!
Give Montreal back their team instead.
— Daniel S (@ThroughAether) April 14, 2026
“Vancity definitely loves ⚾️ (and always has) but this ain’t happening unless jimmy pattison leaves his fortune to build a modern ballpark,” someone commented in our original article.
Lots of folks shouted out the Vancouver Canadians, saying we already have a team. Some compared Sim’s pitch to former Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum’s past ideas.
McCallum talking about a stadium in Surrey is a more sane idea than Ken Sim rambling about MLB in Vancouver
— Mike Martignago (@MikeMartignago) April 14, 2026
In a positive response, Sportsnet producer Josh Elliott-Wolfe reminded folks that the NBA in Vancouver failed because of bad ownership, and claimed that Vancouver averaged more attendance than Memphis has.
Timing of announcement just a coincidence?
Offside reported last year that the MLB was looking to expand. There wasn’t much chatter about Vancouver at the time, nor did the MLB itself specifically mention Vancouver in its list of potential locations a new team could land.
“The cities that are out there, almost exclusively, have been cities that have self-reported,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in an interview with CNBC in July 2025. “In other words, they’re coming to us saying we’d like to have a team.”
The idea of Vancouver getting an MLB franchise has been floated before. It was realistic enough at one time that BC Place was built in 1983 with baseball in mind, complete with a secondary baseball press box behind home plate.
The timing relative to Vancouver politics cannot be understated. It’s an election year for Sim, and the civic election is fast-approaching, taking place this fall on Oct. 17. Is this a performative move? Or is there real substance behind Vancouver getting an MLB team?
Sim told BIV that the announcement coming just six months before the October election was a coincidence, and arrived when it did due to an opportunity presented by the MLB.
For Sim, the bases are loaded, and only time will tell if this is a grand slam.
With files from Kenneth Chan and Rob Williams