MLB: Does Buffalo Have Enough to Make Leap to the Big Leagues?

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The date was Friday, March 13, 2020, and it started off as a normal day, but then COVID-19 slammed the doors shut on schools and other non-essential businesses. The world’s most premier sports leagues went on pause, and it would be months until the NHL and NBA would continue to conduct business in a bubble. However, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred had a unique situation.

The Toronto Blue Jays were across the border and opposing teams could not cross because the border was closed. The next best thing? The Blue Jays could play without fans at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, NY, the home of their Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons. Fast forward 15 months, the spread of COVID-19 has slowed, the Blue Jays have returned to Buffalo, and a limited number of fans flood the stands at Sahlen Field. So, NGSC Sports posed the question, does baseball have a future in Buffalo? To get the best answer, they took to the seats to find out!

Gary…Gary…Gary…Gary!!! That is all you could hear at Sahlen Field when New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, who was not in the starting lineup Wednesday night, came in as a pinch hitter with one out and a runner on first. He blasted a two-run home run over the fence and over Buffalo’s major highway, the 190; according to a measurement from the YES Network. The blast rocketed 446 feet and had an exit velocity of 113.4 miles per hour. That moment alone left no questions, the fans made it clear, a fan base could certainly make waves in the city of good neighbors. However, it will not be that simple for a new MLB franchise to call Buffalo home

Despite massive renovations to the facility, it just is not quite ready for a long-term stay in the majors. If a franchise owner, the city, and the league were willing to partner, a little bit of construction would elevate a hidden gem to the majors permanently. The low fencing seen in the deep outfield and left field would need to rise about 15 feet to contain the ball, at least a little bit more. Some of the iconic attributes a traditional ballpark is dressed with are still missing.

What is the first thing fans want to do when they enter the gate, even before hitting the concession stand? If you guessed to look at the batting order, you are right! Unless you want to wait until the lineup comes over the PA system, which depending on your location, may be difficult to hear, you will need to check the social media accounts of both teams. Some construction can fix that too.

Before we fly-out with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, we should examine the sports landscape in the Western New York region; as of late, the Buffalo Bills are showcasing themselves each year as a hard-charging candidate for a deep playoff run, the Buffalo Bandits, a lacrosse squad in the Major League Lacrosse realm, has begun to gain traction, and the Buffalo Sabres are struggling inside the hockey arena. The Buffalo faithful is patient, but after years of struggle off the baseball diamond, Buffalonians deserve new blood in a familiar sport, baseball. Do you think the MLB front office is ready to make a major call-up in New York? NGSC Sports says, one more round of minor construction, and the phone will ring fast.