Utah Governor Spencer Cox told ESPN senior MLB insider Jeff Passan that Utah is a "front-runner" for Major League Baseball expansion, according to an interview broadcast on KUTV. Cox discussed the state's pitch for a team, including stadium site options and fan base projections.

Major League Baseball has long discussed expanding beyond 30 teams, with cities including Salt Lake City, Nashville, Portland, and Charlotte competing for consideration. Utah's rapid population growth and the success of the Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake have fueled the expansion campaign.

Cox is a practicing Latter-day Saint, and Utah's ownership and business community has deep LDS connections, though the MLB bid is a statewide economic development effort rather than a Church initiative.