The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional

independent baseball league An independent baseball league is a professional baseball league in the United States or Canada that is not overseen by Major League Baseball or its affiliated Minor League Baseball system (historically referred to as organized baseball). Inde ...

in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

, and the headquarters are located at Penn Medicine Park in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...

. The Atlantic League operates in cities not served by Major League Baseball (MLB) or

Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

(MiLB) teams; most of its teams are within suburbs and

exurb An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburbs, suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing-density, and rela ...

s too close to other teams in the organized baseball system to have minor league franchises of their own. The Atlantic League requires cities to have the market for a 4,000 to 7,500-seat ballpark and for the facility to be maintained at or above Triple-A standards. When Atlantic League professionals are signed by MLB clubs, they usually start in their Double-A or Triple-A affiliates. The league uses a

pitch clock A pitch clock (also known as a pitch timer) is used in various baseball leagues to limit the amount of time a pitcher takes before throwing the ball to the Batting (baseball), hitter and/or limit the amount of time the hitter uses before he is s ...

and limits the time between innings in an effort to speed up the game. In 2019, the Atlantic League began a three-year partnership with Major League Baseball allowing MLB to implement changes to Atlantic League playing rules, in order to observe the effects of potential future rule changes and equipment. In 2020, the Atlantic League, together with the American Association, the

Frontier League The Frontier League (FL; French: ''Ligue Frontière'', LF) is a professional baseball league in North America composed of 18 teams – 15 in the United States and 3 in Canada. The FL is one of the eight independent baseball leagues in North Ame ...

, and the Pioneer League, expanded this agreement to become an official MLB Partner League. The Atlantic League is generally regarded as the most successful and highest level of baseball among independent leagues, and is comparable to the Double-A level. The Atlantic League has had more marquee players than any other independent league, including

Jose Canseco José Canseco Capas Jr. (born July 2, 1964) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). During his time with the Oakland Athletics, he established hims ...

, Mat Latos, Steve Lombardozzi Jr., Francisco Rodríguez, Chien-Ming Wang, Roger Clemens, Rich Hill, Scott Kazmir, Juan González, and Dontrelle Willis. Two former Atlantic League players are in the

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United St ...

, Tim Raines and

Rickey Henderson Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson (December 25, 1958 – December 20, 2024), nicknamed "Man of Steal", was an American professional baseball left fielder who played 25 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, inc ...

Gary Carter Gary Edmund Carter (April 8, 1954 – February 16, 2012) was an American professional baseball catcher whose 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career was spent primarily with the Montreal Expos and New York Mets. Nicknamed "Kid" for his youth ...

, another Hall of Famer, managed in the league. The Atlantic League has had many notable managers and coaches, including Wally Backman, Frank Viola, Tommy John,

Sparky Lyle Albert Walter "Sparky" Lyle (born July 22, 1944) is an American professional baseball pitcher who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1967 through 1982. He was a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Texa ...

, and Bud Harrelson. The Atlantic League has consistently posted higher per game and per season attendance numbers than other independent circuits such the American Association, Frontier League and Pioneer League.

History

In 1998, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball played its inaugural season, with teams in Bridgewater, Newark, and

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

;

Nashua, New Hampshire Nashua () is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester. It is on ...

;

Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a City (New York), city in Orange County, New York, United States. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area. ...

; and

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the List of cities in New England by population, fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Loc ...

. The creation of the league was the result of the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

' objection to Frank Boulton's proposal to move the former Albany-Colonie Yankees because of its territorial rights to the region. Boulton, a

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

native, decided to create a new league that would have a higher salary cap for its players and a longer season than most of the other independent baseball organizations. He modeled the Atlantic League after the older

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

, with facilities that exceed AAA-level standards. Boulton also emphasized signing players of Major League Baseball experience for all Atlantic League teams, raising the level of play above other independent leagues. In 2010, the league announced that it would be expanding to Sugar Land, Texas and adding its first franchise not located in an Atlantic coast state. The

Sugar Land Skeeters The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the G ...

began play in 2012. In 2010, amid financial struggles, the

Newark Bears The Newark Bears were an American independent league professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and, later, the Canadian American Association of Professional Bas ...

moved from the Atlantic League to the

Can-Am League The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, commonly known as the Can-Am League, was a professional baseball league with teams in Eastern Canada and Northeastern United States. Founded in 2005 in Dayton, Ohio, the league was for ...

, leaving the

Bridgeport Bluefish The Bridgeport Bluefish were an American minor league baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team was a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseb ...

and

Somerset Patriots The Somerset Patriots are an American professional Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team based in Bridgewater, New Jersey. They are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They compete in the Eastern League (EL), known as the Double-A Nort ...

as the only teams remaining from the league's inaugural season. In the summer of 2013, then-ALPB President Frank Boulton announced that he would be resigning so that he could devote more time to operating the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "par ...

. He was replaced by longtime high-ranking Major League Baseball executive Rick White. On July 8, 2015, the Atlantic League began using

Rawlings Rawlings may refer to: *Rawlings (company), a U.S. sports equipment company *Rawlings, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland *Rawlings (surname) Rawlings is an English-language surname. Notable people with the name in ...

baseballs A baseball is the ball used in the sport of baseball. It consists of a rubber or cork center wrapped in yarn and covered with white natural horsehide or cowhide, or a synthetic composite leather. A regulation baseball is in circumference i.e. ...

with red and blue seams, virtually unused in the sport since the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

swapped the blue in their seams for red in 1934. On September 1, 2015, the Atlantic League announced conditional approval for an expansion team or a relocated team to play in

New Britain, Connecticut New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The city is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol ...

for the 2016 season. On October 21, 2015, the Camden Riversharks announced they would cease operations immediately due to the inability to reach an agreement on lease terms with the owner of Campbell's Field, the Camden County Improvement Authority. The team was replaced by the

New Britain Bees The New Britain Bees are an American collegiate summer baseball team based in New Britain, Connecticut. They are a member of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL), a wood-bat league with teams in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connectic ...

for the 2016 season. On May 29, 2016,

Jennie Finch Jennie Lynn Finch-Daigle (born September 3, 1980) is an American former softball player. She played for the Arizona Wildcats softball team from 1999 to 2002, where she won the 2001 Women's College World Series and was named collegiate All-Ameri ...

was the guest manager for the league's Bridgeport Bluefish, thus becoming the first woman to manage a professional baseball team. Shortly before the conclusion of the 2017 season, the city of

voted to not continue with professional baseball in the city and announced plans to convert

The Ballpark at Harbor Yard The Ballpark at Harbor Yard was a 5,500-seat independent-league ballpark in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut that opened on May 21, 1998. The stadium was located next to the Webster Bank Arena, now known as the Total Mortgage Arena. It was named ...

into a music amphitheater; the

announced plans to relocate to

High Point, North Carolina High Point is a city in the Piedmont Triad region of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Most of the city is in Guilford County, North Carolina, Guilford County, with parts extending into Randolph County, North Carolina, Randolph, ...

in 2019 when the construction of a new multipurpose facility in High Point is completed. League officials announced the return of the

Pennsylvania Road Warriors The Road Warriors are a professional baseball team owned by the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The traveling team has operated intermittently throughout the league's history, usually being activated in years when the league otherwise ...

, an all road game team, to keep the league at an even eight teams while the Bluefish go inactive for the 2018 season. In 2015, the Atlantic League experienced a watershed moment for independent baseball when it signed a formal agreement with Major League Baseball which put into writing the rules which the ALPB would follow in selling its players' contracts to MLB clubs and their affiliates. This marked the first time that MLB, which has enjoyed a

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

-granted antitrust exemption since 1922, had made any formal agreement with or acknowledgment of an independent baseball league.

2020s

In 2020, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the league announced that it would be unable to operate for the 2020 season with the current 8-member ballclubs, thereby canceling its season. Several teams (Somerset, York, and Lancaster) did not gain the necessary approval from governmental and health officials to open their ballparks to the capacity level necessary for competition. They used their stadiums to host recreational and community-based events, as well as local baseball activities where allowed. Meanwhile, the Long Island Ducks, High Point Rockers, and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs initially attempted to partner with teams from other leagues to play a 70-game season from mid-July through the end of September. However, due to ongoing restrictions and capacity limitations, they ultimately decided to suspend all baseball activities for the 2020 season. The only team that played in 2020 was the Sugar Land Skeeters, who would create a new 4-team independent league in Texas, with all 60 games played at

Constellation Field Constellation Field is a baseball park located in Sugar Land, Texas. It is the home of the Sugar Land Space Cowboys of the Pacific Coast League, who began play in 2012 as the Sugar Land Skeeters. The park also has the ability to host rugby unio ...

, and the Somerset Patriots, who played weekend games with a second squad called the New Jersey Blasters. In July 2020, the league announced the addition of a new franchise in

Gastonia, North Carolina Gastonia is the most populous city in and the county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest satellite city of the Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte area, behind Concord, North Carolina, Concord. The po ...

beginning in 2021; it is the league's second team based in North Carolina. In November 2020, the Atlantic League lost its last charter franchise and its westernmost franchise when both teams became official minor league affiliates. On November 7, the

announced that they were leaving the league to join the MLB-affiliated Eastern League, where they will replace the

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the D ...

as the Double-A affiliate of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. Approximately two weeks later, the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

announced that they had purchased a controlling stake in the

and, as a result, the Skeeters would become the Astros' Triple-A affiliate and join the

. On February 18, 2021, the league announced the addition of the

Lexington Legends The Lexington Legends are an American professional baseball team based in Lexington, Kentucky. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Legends have ...

, previously the Class A

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...

affiliate of the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

, for the 2021 season. The

Charleston Dirty Birds The Charleston Dirty Birds are an American professional baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a partner league of Major League Baseball. The Dir ...

, formerly the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League, announced their move to the league on February 24, 2021. On September 1, 2021, the league announced the addition of a new

Hagerstown, Maryland Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. The population was 43,527 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Hagerstown ranks as Maryland's List of municipalities in Maryland, sixth-most popu ...

franchise with the intent to begin play in 2023 pending ballpark construction. In 2022 it was announced that the team wouldn't begin play until 2024 due to construction delays. In 2022,

Kelsie Whitmore Kelsie Ann-Gamboa Whitmore (born July 5, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher and outfielder. She was a member of the United States women's national baseball team from 2014 to 2019. Whitmore played college softball for the Cal Stat ...

signed with the

Staten Island FerryHawks The Staten Island FerryHawks are an American minor-league professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Staten Island. They are a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league ...

of the Atlantic League, and started a game for them in left field; this made her the first woman to start an Atlantic League game. Later that year she became the first woman to pitch in an Atlantic League game when she made her first pitching appearance for Staten Island; entering the game with the

bases loaded This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries. 0–9 0 :"Oh and ..." See #count, coun ...

and two

outs In baseball, an out occurs when the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a batter or runner is out, they lose their ability to score a run and must return to the dugout until their next turn at bat. When three outs are recorded in a h ...

, she retired Ryan Jackson, a former major leaguer, on a

fly out In baseball, the rules state that a batted ball is considered in flight when it has not yet touched any object other than a fielder or his equipment. Such a ball can be caught by a fielder to put the batter out. Once a batted ball touches the gr ...

to end the inning. On July 20, 2023, the Hagerstown team announced that they would be named the

Hagerstown Flying Boxcars The Hagerstown Flying Boxcars are a professional baseball team that began play in 2024 in Hagerstown, Maryland. The franchise competes in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in the North Division and play their home games at Meritus Par ...

. In September 2023 it was announced that Spire City Ghost Hounds would be on hiatus during the 2024 season due to the league now having an odd number of teams with the addition of the Hagerstown franchise. The team was set to return for the 2025 season; however, the Ghost Hounds were not listed on the 2025 season schedule and would later announce an intent to return in 2026 based on the Atlantic League's plans for expansion. On November 22, 2023, the Atlantic League terminated the membership of the

Gastonia Honey Hunters The Gastonia Honey Hunters were a professional baseball team based in Gastonia, North Carolina. They played in the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball, at CaroMont Health Pa ...

, citing significant unpaid debts to the league. Rick White, president of the Atlantic League, confirmed that the Honey Hunters were terminated, but said that the Atlantic League intended to field a team in Gastonia in 2024. In February 2024, the league named Zawyer Sports & Entertainment as the new owners for the 2024 season with the team name, Gastonia Ghost Peppers, announced in October 2024. The Gastonia Ghost Peppers played their first game on April 25, 2024, a 3–2 loss to the

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are an American professional baseball team based in Waldorf, Maryland. They are members of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Base ...

Experimental rules

2019

In March 2019, the Atlantic League and Major League Baseball reached agreement to test multiple rule changes during the 2019 Atlantic League season: * Use of a radar tracking system to assist umpires in calling balls and strikes * Reducing the time between half innings by 20 seconds, from 2 minutes 5 seconds to 1:45 * Requiring pitchers to face at least three batters ** Exceptions: side is retired or injury * Banning

mound A mound is a wikt:heaped, heaped pile of soil, earth, gravel, sand, rock (geology), rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded ...

visits ** Exceptions: pitching change or for medical issues * Restricting

infield shift The infield shift in baseball is a defensive realignment from the standard positions, to place more fielders on one side of the field or another. Used primarily against left-handed batters, it is designed to protect against base hits pulled hard ...

s ** Two infielders must be positioned on each side of second base * Increasing the size of bases from to ** The size of

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

is not altered * Moving the pitching rubber on the

pitcher's mound A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refer ...

back ** This change would have taken effect in the second half of the season In April 2019, implementation of two of the changes was delayed: * The tracking system for calling balls and strikes "will be implemented gradually over the course of the 2019 season" * Moving the pitching rubber back will not occur until the second half of the 2020 Atlantic League season; this rule change was never implemented. The tracking system for calling balls and strikes was introduced at the league's all-star game on July 10. In addition to rule changes noted above, additional changes being implemented for the second half of the league's 2019 season are: * Pitchers required to step off

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Types of polyisoprene ...

to attempt

pickoff In baseball, a pickoff is an act by a pitcher or catcher, throwing a live ball to a fielder so that the fielder can tag out a baserunner who is either leading off or about to begin stealing the next base. A pickoff attempt occurs when this t ...

* One foul

bunt Bunt may refer to: People * Darrell Bunt (1902–1977), Royal Navy chaplain * Dick Bunt (1929–2021), American basketball player * Raymond Bunt (born 1944), Pennsylvania politician * Bunt Stephens (John L. Stephens, 1889–1951), or Uncle Bunt ...

permitted with two strikes * Batters may "steal" first base ** "Any pitched ball not caught by the catcher shall be subject to the same baserunning rules for the batter as an uncaught third strike, with the exception of the first base occupied with less than two out exclusion." * " Check swings" more batter-friendly ** "In making his ruling, the base umpire should determine whether the batter's wrists 'rolled over' during an attempt to strike at the ball and, if not, call the pitch a ball."

2021

The Atlantic League and MLB jointly announced that the former would adopt several additional experimental rules for the 2021 season: * The automated ball-strike calling system introduced for 2019 remains in use, but has been tweaked. The strike zone, which had been a three-dimensional space above home plate in 2019, changed to a two-dimensional space measured at the front of home plate. * A "double-hook" rule is in force for the entire season. Under this rule, once a team removes its starting pitcher, it loses the right to use a designated hitter for the rest of the game. * During the second half of the season (starting on August 3), the pitcher's rubber was moved back , making the distance between the front edge of the rubber to the rear point of home plate . * The player salaries was raised to a minimum of $13,800 per year.

2022

In January 2022, the Atlantic League announced they would no longer be using the following rules for the 2022 season: * The automated ball-strike system that was first introduced in 2019, would no longer be used to assist home plate umpires in making ball or strike decisions. While the Atlantic League discontinued the use of the system, MLB opted to use the system in Spring Training games and in Triple A for the 2022 season. * The distance of the pitching rubber to home plate went back to its original length, 60 feet 6 inches, down from 61 feet 6 inches. The mound was first moved a foot back (from 60 feet 6 inches to 61 feet 6 inches) on August 3, 2021, half-way through the 2021 season. In March 2022, the MLB announced modifications to the "double-hook" rule and reintroduced the "dropped pitch" rule for the 2023 season: * The "double-hook" rule was modified so that clubs do not lose their designated hitter if their starting pitcher completes at least five innings. * The "dropped pitch" rule allows batters to attempt to advance for first on any pitch not caught in the air by the catcher, even with a runner on first. Those that reach first base will be awarded a hit.

2023

In April 2023, it was announced that the Atlantic League would be testing three rules for the 2023 season: * The "designated pinch-runner" rule will have clubs designate a pinch runner that is not in the starting line up. That player can be substituted into the game at any point as a baserunner, but unlike typical substitutions the player that is substituted for as well as the pinch-runner will be allowed to return to the game with no penalty. * Pitchers will be allowed only one disengagement per at-bat. Any additional disengagements will be counted as a balk unless an out is recorded. * The "double-hook" rule will continue being used in its 2022 form.

2024

* The player salaries was raised to a minimum of $30,250 per year.

Teams

Map of teams

League timeline

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:1200 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:01/01/1998 till:12/31/2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:20 left:20 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<# Colors = id:barcolor id:line value:pink id:bg value:white id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a current league member id:Other value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another current league id:Future value:rgb(0.565,0.933,0.565) # Use color for a proposed new team/relocation PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s bar:1 color:Full from:01/01/1998 till:12/31/2006 text:

Atlantic City Surf The Atlantic City Surf were a professional minor league baseball team based in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Surf was most recently a member of the Can-Am League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The Surf played its home gam ...

(1998–2006) bar:1 color:Other from:01/01/2007 till:12/31/2008 bar:2 color:Full from:01/01/1998 till:01/01/2018 text:

(1998–2017) bar:3 color:Full from:01/01/1998 till:12/31/2005 text:

Nashua Pride The Nashua Pride was a professional baseball team based in Nashua, New Hampshire, in the United States, not affiliated with Major League Baseball. They played home games at Holman Stadium from 1998 through 2008, when they were sold and renamed t ...

(1998–2005) bar:3 color:Other from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2011 bar:4 color:Full from:01/01/1998 till:12/31/2010 text:

(1998–2010) bar:4 color:Other from:01/01/2011 till:12/31/2013 bar:5 color:Full from:01/01/1998 till:12/31/2001 text: Newburgh/Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds (1998–2001) bar:6 color:Full from:01/01/2002 till:12/31/2004 text:

(2002–2004) bar:6 color:Full from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2007 shift: 50 text:

Road Warriors The Road Warriors, also known as the Legion of Doom, were a professional wrestling tag team originally composed of Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis).. They performed under the name "The Road Wa ...

(2006–2007, 2011, 2018, 2020) bar:6 color:Full from:01/01/2011 till:12/31/2011 bar:6 color:Full from:01/01/2018 till:12/31/2018 bar:6 color:Full from:01/01/2020 till:12/31/2020 bar:7 color:Full from:01/01/1998 till:12/31/2020 text:

(1998–2020) bar:7 color:Other from:01/01/2021 till:end bar:8 color:Full from:01/01/2000 till:12/31/2000 text:

Aberdeen Arsenal The Aberdeen Arsenal were an Atlantic League team based in Bel Air, Maryland. For the 2000 season, they played in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The Arsenal departed from Aberde ...

(2000) bar:9 color:Full from:01/01/2000 till:end text:

(2000–present) bar:10 color:Full from:01/01/2001 till:10/21/2015 text:

Camden Riversharks The Camden Riversharks were an United States, American professional baseball team based in Camden, New Jersey, from 2001 to 2015. They were a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, then unaffiliated with ...

(2001–2015) bar:11 color:Full from:01/01/2005 till:end text:

Lancaster Barnstormers The Lancaster Stormers (formerly known as the Lancaster Barnstormers) is an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner l ...

(2005–present) bar:12 color:Full from:01/01/2007 till:end text:

York Revolution The York Revolution is an American professional minor-league baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Basebal ...

(2007–present) bar:13 color:Full from:01/01/2008 till:end text:

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(2012–2020) bar:14 color:Other from:01/01/2021 till:end bar:15 color:Full from:01/01/2016 till:10/28/2019 text:

(2016–2019) bar:15 color:Other from:10/29/2019 till:end bar:16 color:Full from:01/01/2019 till:end text:

High Point Rockers The High Point Rockers are an American professional minor-league baseball team based at Truist Point ballpark in High Point, North Carolina, which is part of the Piedmont Triad region. They are members of the South Division of the Atlantic League ...

(2019–present) bar:17 color:Full from:01/01/2021 till:11/22/2023 text:

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Wild Health Genomes The Wild Health Genomes were an United States, American professional baseball team based in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 2022, they were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an MLB Partner League. The Genomes were owned ...

(2022) bar:22 color:Full from:01/01/2023 till:12/31/2023 text: Spire City Ghost Hounds (2023) bar:23 color:Full from:01/01/2024 till:end text:

(2024–present) bar:24 color:Full from:01/01/2024 till:end text: Gastonia Ghost Peppers (2024–present) ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1998 TextData = fontsize:L textcolor:black pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center) text:^"Atlantic League Timeline" #> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. <#

Former teams

Proposed teams that never played

Championship Series

The ALPB Championship Series is played as a best-of-five. Numbers in parentheses denote the number of championships won by a team to that point, when more than one.

All-Star Games

Freedom Division won the 2019 game in a "homer-off" after the teams were tied at the end of nine innings.

League records

Major League Baseball players

Some Atlantic League players have come from, or advanced to, the higher ranks of

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

. Some have resurrected their careers and returned to the majors, while others played in the independent league during the start or end of their careers. The following is a list of some of those players: * Ruben Sierra - Played for the

in 1999 after more than a decade in MLB. Returned to the Texas Rangers in 2000 and named

Comeback Player of the Year in 2001. *

- Played for the

in 2001 after a long MLB career. Returned to the majors for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

. * Tim Raines - Played for the

briefly in 2000. Returned to the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...

in 2001. *

Carlos Baerga Carlos Obed Ortiz Baerga (; ; born November 4, 1968) is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball player. Baerga was known for his superb hitting abilities during his first stint with the Cleveland Indians in the early-to-mid-1990s, accumulati ...

- Played for the

in 2001. Returned to the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

in 2002. *

- Played for the

in 2003 before signing with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. Henderson then returned to the

in 2004, his final season in the Atlantic League. *

Stephen Drew Stephen Oris Drew (born March 16, 1983) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Washington Na ...

- Drafted in the first round in 2004 by the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

. Played 19 games for the

in 2005 before agreeing to terms with the Diamondbacks. Drew played for several major league teams and won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2013. *

Ross Detwiler Ross Emery Detwiler (born March 6, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft, 2007 MLB draft and made his MLB debut late that ...

- Drafted in the first round in 2007 by the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

. Became a key member of Nationals' pitching staff in 2011 and 2012 and pitched well in the franchise's first playoff series since moving from Montreal. Bounced around several teams, then signed with the

in 2018. Called back to several MLB teams, including the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

in 2021. * Steve Lombardozzi Jr. - Drafted in the 19th round in 2008 by the

. Bounced around several teams, then signed with the

in 2016. Advanced back to MLB later that year but did not play much and signed with the

in 2019. *

Brandon Phillips Brandon Emil Phillips (born June 28, 1981) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox. At ...

- Drafted by the

in 2002. He went on to play 10 seasons with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

. In 2021, it was announced that he would join the

as a player and part-owner.

References

External links

*
Record Book, 1998-2023Archived version
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atlantic League Of Professional Baseball 1998 establishments in the United States Sports leagues established in 1998 Professional sports leagues in the United States

History

2020s

Experimental rules

2019

2021

2022

2023

2024

Teams

Map of teams

League timeline

Former teams

Proposed teams that never played

Championship Series

All-Star Games

League records

Major League Baseball players

See also

References

Further reading

External links