Nashville was recognized as the best city for a new Major League Baseball franchise in The Athletic's 2023 MLB Player Poll.

After polling over 100 MLB players, Nashville received the majority of the vote with 69%. Montreal (10%), Charlotte (5%), Austin (5%), Portland (4%), Vancouver (2%) and Salt Lake City (2%) also received votes.

Commissioner Rob Manfred has long been keen on expanding the MLB to 32 teams. In 2018, Manfred listed Nashville along with Montreal, Charlotte, Austin, Portland, Vancouver and Salt Lake City as possible destinations. Still, Manfred has made it clear that expansion cannot proceed until the Oakland A's and Tampa Bay Rays resolve their stadium negotiations. The MLB has not added a team since 1998.

The pitch for Nashville being the next expansion franchise has been led by Music City Baseball, a group attempting to bring the Nashville Stars to the MLB. The Stars name was inspired by Negro Leagues franchise that played in Nashville in the 1950s.

Dave Stewart, former starting Oakland A's pitcher, has helped lead the expansion initiative. The Music City Baseball group has also partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and invited its president to join its board. The group has emphasized marketing the city's music rich brand while also forging relationships in the community.

Music City Baseball has managed to strike an agreement with Tennessee State University to begin searching for a space on campus to use as a potential location for a ballpark. The group expects money for the stadium to come from private investors.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: MLB expansion: Players prefer Nashville as best city for a new team