Southern League (1964–present)
Minor League Baseball league in the Southern United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Southern League is a Minor League Baseball league that has operated in the Southern United States since 1964. Along with the Eastern League and Texas League, it is one of three circuits playing at the Double-A level, which is two grades below Major League Baseball (MLB).
Classification | Double-A |
---|---|
Sport | Baseball |
Founded | 1964 (60 years ago) (1964) |
No. of teams | 8 |
Country | United States |
Most recent champion(s) | Tennessee Smokies (2023) |
Most titles | Birmingham Barons (7) |
Official website | www.southernleague.com |
The league traces its roots to the original Southern League (1885–1899), the Southern Association (1901–1961), and the original South Atlantic League (1904–1963). The later circuit was renamed the Southern League in 1964, and the league elected to maintain records from that season onward. Following MLB's reorganization of the minor leagues in 2021, it operated as the Double-A South for one season before switching back to its previous moniker in 2022. In its inaugural 1964 season, the Southern League consisted of eight teams from Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Following contractions, expansions, and relocations, the league consists of eight teams in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
A league champion is determined at the end of each season. The Birmingham Barons have won 7 Southern League titles, the most among all teams in the league, followed by the Jacksonville Suns (6) and the Montgomery Rebels (5).