MLB Draft League
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Classification | Collegiate summer |
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Sport | Baseball |
Founded | 2021 |
Director | Sean Campbell[1] |
No. of teams | 6 |
Country | United States |
Most recent champion(s) | West Virginia Black Bears (2023) |
Most titles | West Virginia Black Bears (2) |
Official website | www.mlb.com/mlb-draft-league |
The MLB Draft League is a baseball league that began play in 2021.[2] Created by Major League Baseball (MLB) and Prep Baseball Report, the league operates a split-season format of 80 games. For the first 30 games of the season, running from June 1 to July 4, the league operates as a collegiate summer baseball league to serve as a showcase for top draft-eligible prospects leading up to each summer's MLB draft.[2] After a break for the draft, play resumes for the remaining 50 games with paid players who have exhausted their amateur eligibility.[3]
The league's 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.[4][5] In 2021, each team in the league played a 68-game regular season, with an All-Star Break taking place around the MLB draft.[6] The season was expanded to 80 games per team beginning in 2022.[7]
Current teams[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Sean Campbell taking over as MLB Draft League Executive Director". MLBDraftLeague.com. MLB Draft League. May 29, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ 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.
External links[edit]