Orlando, Florida, is synonymous with theme parks, a major factor in its popularity as a tourist hotspot. Each year, millions flock to the area, making it one of the world’s top travel destinations. This tourism appeal is at the core of the Orlando Dreamers’ bid to establish a Major League Baseball (MLB) team in the city.

The MLB is currently considering expansion, and the Orlando Dreamers aim to position the fast-growing city as a suitable home for a new team. Despite cities like Nashville and Charlotte often being favored for expansion, Jim Schnorf, co-founder and COO of the Dreamers, argues that Orlando’s unique circumstances make it ideal for an MLB team.

We have no Major League Baseball here. We don’t have minor league, and we don’t have spring training. Every other competing city except one has Triple-A, and the one that doesn’t have Triple-A has Double-A. So there’s an anomalous absence of professional baseball from the Orlando market.

Orlando is the largest media market in the U.S. without an MLB team. Schnorf emphasizes the city’s impressive tourism numbers, noting that more than 80 million tourists visited this year. He points to the Las Vegas model, where tourism has helped support multiple professional sports teams, as an example of Orlando’s potential.

Alongside tourism, the Dreamers propose that the significant media market in Orlando is a compelling argument for an MLB presence. Schnorf, alongside Pat Williams, who brought the Orlando Magic to the NBA, believes that tourism not only enhances the viability of a sports team but also provides financial support for related infrastructure.

The Dreamers have plans for a cutting-edge stadium near SeaWorld and major attractions like Walt Disney World. They aim to utilize Orange County’s tourism resort tax revenue, generated by being the highest of its kind in the nation, to fund the project.

Despite forming a task force to evaluate such proposals, Orlando officials did not recommend progressing with the stadium project. Schnorf attributes this to the political climate during an election cycle and the limited time given to present their proposal.

We requested $975 million. To put that in perspective, we got only 15 minutes to present that package. Normally, you would spend a minimum of a day, following months and months of work and research on our financial model and metrics.

Nonetheless, Schnorf mentions that substantial financial commitments have already been secured, with over $2 billion promised for stadium financing and team acquisition. However, MLB expansion would need consensus from existing franchises, including the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins, both of which struggle with attendance.

Schnorf references baseball history to make a case for an additional team in Florida:

People ask about the other two teams in the state, ‘How can Florida possibly support a third team here?’ Well, in 1969, California had five teams with a significantly lower population than the state of Florida has today. Orlando is the fastest-growing metro area in the fastest-growing state in the country.

He maintains confidence that Orlando can support Major League Baseball.

Matthew Reigle writes for OutKick.