2026 Prospect League season
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(Playoffs: August 2 – August 9)
| 2026 Prospect League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Prospect League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | May 26 – August 1 (Playoffs: August 2 – August 9) |
| Games | 56 (560 games in total) |
| Teams | 20 |
| Northeast Division | |
| Central Division | |
| Northwest Division | |
| South Division | |
| Prospect League Championship | |
The 2026 Prospect League season is the 17th season of collegiate summer baseball in the Prospect League, a collegiate summer baseball league in the Midwestern United States, since its creation in June 2009. There are 20 Prospect League teams, split evenly between Eastern and Western Conferences. These conferences are then split up between the Northeast, Central, Northwest, and South divisions.
The Cape Catfish entered the season as defending champions, having defeated the Lafayette Aviators, two games to zero, in the league's 2025 championship series.[1]
It was announced during the offseason that the city of Kokomo, Indiana would once again have a team in the league after previously being the host city for the Kokomo Jackrabbits from 2014 to 2024. The Jackrabbits were a Prospect League franchise from 2014 to 2018, then a Northwoods League franchise from 2019 to 2024.[2][3][4] The Jackrabbits dissolved due to a legal battle between the city of Kokomo and the ownership of the Jackrabbits, Kokomo Baseball LLC, which ultimately ended with a judge ruling in favor of the city of Kokomo. The ruling officially brought an end to the Jackrabbits.[5] Shortly after, the city of Kokomo announced the name of their new team in the Prospect League was the Creek Chubs.[6]
Also, it would later be announced during the offseason that Decatur, Illinois would be granted a team in the league.[7] It will be the first summer baseball team to play in Decatur since the Decatur Commodores, who were a professional Class A minor league affilate that played in the Midwest League. After months of anticipation, it would be announced that the name of the team would be the Bean Ballers.[8][9]
The 20 teams in the league are split evenly between two conferences, Eastern and Western. These two conferences are then split up into four divisions: Northeast, Central, Northwest, and South.
The season will be played with a 56-game schedule, which is split between two halves, with the first half ending on June 26 and the second half ending on August 1. The first-half winners in each division will host the second-half winners in a one-game divisional championship round. If the same team wins both halves, the team with the next-best second-half record makes the playoffs.[10]
Regular season standings
First half standings
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Champion City Half Trax | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Chillicothe Paints | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Johnstown Mill Rats | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | Kokomo Creek Chubs | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Lafayette Aviators | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danville Dans | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Decatur Bean Ballers | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Dubois County Bombers | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Terre Haute Rex | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burlington Bees | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Clinton LumberKings | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | Normal CornBelters | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Quincy Doggy Paddlers | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alton River Dragons | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Cape Catfish | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Jackson Rockabillys | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | O'Fallon Hoots | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Thrillville Thrillbillies | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
Second half standings
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Champion City Half Trax | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Chillicothe Paints | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Johnstown Mill Rats | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | Kokomo Creek Chubs | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Lafayette Aviators | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danville Dans | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Decatur Bean Ballers | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Dubois County Bombers | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Terre Haute Rex | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burlington Bees | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Clinton LumberKings | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | Normal CornBelters | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Quincy Doggy Paddlers | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alton River Dragons | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Cape Catfish | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Jackson Rockabillys | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | O'Fallon Hoots | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Thrillville Thrillbillies | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
Full season standings
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Champion City Half Trax | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Chillicothe Paints | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Johnstown Mill Rats | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | Kokomo Creek Chubs | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Lafayette Aviators | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danville Dans | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Decatur Bean Ballers | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Dubois County Bombers | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Terre Haute Rex | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burlington Bees | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Clinton LumberKings | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | Normal CornBelters | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Quincy Doggy Paddlers | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alton River Dragons | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 2 | Cape Catfish | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 3 | Jackson Rockabillys | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 4 | O'Fallon Hoots | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
| 5 | Thrillville Thrillbillies | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | -- |
- y – Clinched division
- x – Clinched playoff spot
Statistical leaders
Awards
All-star selections
Eastern Conference
|
Western Conference
|
End of year awards
| Award | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | ||
| Pro Prospect of the Year | ||
| Pitcher of the Year | ||
| Relief Pitcher of the Year | ||
| Manager of the Year | ||
| Social Media of the Year | N/A | |
| Broadcaster of the Year | ||
| Ballpark Experience of the Year | ||
| General Manager of the Year | ||
| Organization of the Year | N/A | |
| Staff of the Year | N/A |