On Monday, Major League Baseball announced that the Pioneer League will no longer be a minor league affiliate of the Rookie League. They will transition into an Independent League, joining the Atlantic League, Frontier League, and American Association.
The Pioneer League will keep all eight teams in their league. The league will play a 92-game regular-season schedule that starts in May and concludes in early September.
The eight teams that make up the league in two divisions. The Northern Division features the Billings Mustangs, Great Falls Voyagers, Idaho Falls Chukars, and Missoula PaddleHeads and the Southern Division featured the Grand Junction Rockies, Northern Colorado Owls, Ogden Raptors, and Rocky Mountain Vibes. Major League Baseball will fund the leagues operating expenses. MLB will create a procedure for players to transfer to MLB teams.
Morgan Sword, Executive Vice President of Baseball Economics, released a statement on the Pioneer League, saying, “Over the past year, we have worked closely with Pioneer League owners and elected officials to ensure the continued success of baseball in the Mountain West. We’re excited to support this new initiative and look forward to Pioneer League baseball returning in 2021.”
Earlier in the day, MLB announced a Draft League comprising five former affiliated teams (Trenton Thunder, Williamsport Crosscutters, West Virginia Black Bears, State College Spikes, and Mahoning Valley Scrappers) with a sixth on the way. MLB will make additional announcements at a later date as they continue to reshape Minor League Baseball.
