 | |
| Classification | Collegiate summer (partial) Independent (partial) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Director | Sean Campbell[1] |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | United States |
| Most recent champion(s) | Williamsport Crosscutters (2024) |
| Most titles | West Virginia Black Bears (2) |
| Streaming partner(s) | AWRE Sports[2] |
| Official website | mlbdraftleague.com |
The MLB Draft League is a baseball league that began play in 2021.[3] Created by Major League Baseball (MLB) and Prep Baseball Report (PBR), the league operates a split-season format of 80 games with a hybrid amateur–professional structure: for the first half of the season, the league operates as an amateur collegiate summer baseball league to serve as a showcase for top draft-eligible prospects leading up to each July's MLB draft;[3] after a break for the draft, play resumes for the season's remaining games with paid professional players who have exhausted their amateur eligibility.[4]
History
[edit]The league's founding six teams were formerly members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League, Eastern League, and Carolina League before MLB's reorganization of the minors for 2021.[5][6] In 2021, each team in the league played a 68-game regular season, with an All-Star Break taking place around the MLB draft.[7] The season was expanded to 80 games per team beginning in 2022.[8]
In 2024, MLB announced that the league would be expanded by two teams in the near future and that it would extend its support for the league through 2030.[9]
In August 2025, it was announced that Attain Sports, the owners of the Frederick Keys and numerous Baltimore Orioles minor league affiliates, would move the current Keys team to High-A, while the Aberdeen Ironbirds, the current High-A affiliate of the Orioles would move to the MLB Draft League in 2026.[10]
Teams
[edit]| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current teams | ||||
| Frederick Keys | Frederick, Maryland | Harry Grove Stadium | 5,400 | 2021–2025 |
| Mahoning Valley Scrappers | Niles, Ohio | Eastwood Field | 6,000 | 2021–present |
| State College Spikes | University Park, Pennsylvania | Lubrano Park | 5,570 | 2021–present |
| Trenton Thunder | Trenton, New Jersey | Trenton Thunder Ballpark | 6,440 | 2021–present |
| West Virginia Black Bears | Granville, West Virginia | Kendrick Family Ballpark | 3,500 | 2021–present |
| Williamsport Crosscutters | Williamsport, Pennsylvania | Journey Bank Ballpark | 2,366 | 2021–present |
| Future teams | ||||
| Aberdeen IronBirds | Aberdeen, Maryland | Ripken Stadium | 6,300 | 2026 onwards |
Champions
[edit]| Team | # of Championships | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Williamsport Crosscutters | 1 | 2024 |
| West Virginia Black Bears | 2 | 2022, 2023 |
| Trenton Thunder | 1 | 2021 |
Championship games
[edit]The team with the highest record won the 2021 season
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Score | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Williamsport Crosscutters | Trenton Thunder | 5-4 | [11] |
| 2023 | West Virginia Black Bears | Trenton Thunder | 9-4 | [12] |
| 2022 | West Virginia Black Bears | Williamsport Crosscutters | 10-6 | [13] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Sean Campbell taking over as MLB Draft League Executive Director". MLBDraftLeague.com. MLB Draft League. May 29, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ "AWRE Sports announces multi-year agreement with MLB Draft League and Appalachian League as official camera and streaming provider" (Press release). MLB Draft League. April 22, 2025.
- ^ a b Reichard, Kevin (November 30, 2020). "Kerrick Jackson is New MLB Draft League President". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ "What is the MLB Draft League". MLBDraftLeague.com. MLB Draft League. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ "Mahoning Valley Scrappers Retain Affiliation With Major League Baseball in New MLB Draft League". Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Minor League Baseball. November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ Cooper, J.J. (December 9, 2020). "Frederick Becomes Sixth Team To Join MLB Draft League". Baseball America. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ "MLB to Launch League for Draft Prospects". Major League Baseball. November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ "Crosscutters 2022 Schedule to Feature More Games and New Start Times". OurSports Central (Press release). November 8, 2021.
- ^ "MLB Extends Commitment to Draft League Through 2030 Season" (Press release). Major League Baseball. May 2, 2024.
- ^ "Attain Sports Announces Reorganization of Baseball Teams, Bringing High-A Affiliate Baseball Back to Frederick and MLB Draft League to Aberdeen Beginning in 2026" (Press release). Frederick Keys. August 1, 2025.
- ^ "Cutters Capture Draft League Title | Williamsport Crosscutters". MLB Draft League. September 5, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ^ "West Virginia Black Bears Win 2023 MLB Draft League Championship | West Virginia Black Bears". MLB Draft League. September 3, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ^ "2022 MLB Draft League Champions: The West Virginia Black Bears Defeat the Williamsport Crosscutters 10-6 in Championship Game at Monongalia County Ballpark | MLB Draft League". MLB Draft League. September 7, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2025.