 | |
| Classification | High-A (2021–present) Class A (1963–2020) Class D (1947–1962) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 1947 (78 years ago) (1947) |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Country | United States |
| Most recent champion(s) | Lake County Captains (2024) |
| Most titles | Wisconsin Timber Rattlers andLansing Lugnuts (9) |
TheMidwest League is aMinor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in theMidwestern United States. AClass A league for most of its history, the league was promoted toHigh-A as part ofMajor League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues.
The Midwest League began as theIllinois State League (1947–1948) and then became theMississippi–Ohio Valley League (1949–1955). In 1956, the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League was renamed the Midwest League.[1][2] The circuit temporarily operated for the 2021 season as theHigh-A Central before reassuming its original moniker in 2022.
TheLansing Lugnuts andWisconsin Timber Rattlers franchises jointly have won the mostMidwest League championships, with nine each.
The Midwest League directly evolved from two earlier leagues in the region. In 1947, the Class DIllinois State League (ISL) began operation with six Illinois teams: theBelleville Stags,Centralia Cubs,Marion Indians,Mattoon Indians,Mount Vernon Braves, andWest Frankfort Cardinals. In 1949, the ISL changed its name to theMississippi–Ohio Valley League after Marion moved their franchise to Kentucky and became thePaducah Chiefs. In 1954, the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League expanded, adding teams inClinton andDubuque, Iowa. The Mississippi-Ohio Valley League was then renamed Midwest League in 1956.
The original teams in 1956, the first year of Midwest League play, were:Clinton Pirates,Decatur Commodores,Dubuque Packers,Kokomo Dodgers,Lafayette Red Sox,Mattoon Phillies,Michigan City White Caps and theParis Lakers. Mattoon is the oldest franchise in the MWL, evolving into today'sFort Wayne TinCaps, while Clinton is the oldest MWL locale.[3]
In 1960, theDavenport, Iowa basedQuad City Braves joined the league as an expansion team. In 1962,Appleton,Burlington, andCedar Rapids joined the Midwest League from theIllinois-Indiana-Iowa League which folded operations when those franchises switched leagues.[2] All those franchised remain in the league today. In 1963, the Midwest League was designated as a Class A league, after the minor league classification structure was reorganized.[4]
The 1975Waterloo Royals, led by future MLB All-StarsWillie Wilson andDan Quisenberry, are ranked #60 on MiLB.com's Top 100 Teams. The Royals finished the season 93–35.[5]
In 1976, the Midwest League contracted from ten teams to eight, as franchises inDanville and Dubuque were eliminated. In 1982, the league expanded from 8 to 12 teams, adding theBeloit Brewers, theDanville Suns, theMadison Muskies, and theSpringfield Cardinals. ThePeoria Suns relocated from Danville in 1983, and acquired their current name, Peoria Chiefs, the following year. In 1988, the league began splitting its season into two halves and expanded from 12 to 14 teams, with the addition of franchises inSouth Bend, Indiana, andRockford, Illinois. During the 1990s several teams changed cities asMajor League Baseball placed higher standards on minor league baseball facilities; franchises in smaller cities were sold to new owners who moved those teams to new ballparks in larger cities.Kenosha, Madison, Rockford, Springfield,Waterloo, andWausau lost teams during this decade whileBattle Creek,Dayton,Fort Wayne,Grand Rapids (West Michigan),Kane County, andLansing gained teams.[2]
The 1978Appleton Foxes are ranked #93 on the Top-100 All Time teams by MiLB.com.[6] Led by futureCy Young Award winnerLaMarr Hoyt, the team finished 97–40.Harry Chappas,Ross Baumgarten andBritt Burns were all called up to the parent Chicago White Sox at the conclusion of the MWL season. The 97 wins by the Foxes remains a Midwest League record.[6]
TheFort Wayne TinCaps are the oldest franchise in the league, having begun as the Mattoon Indians in 1947 and playing inKeokuk, Iowa;Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin; andKenosha, Wisconsin, before moving toFort Wayne, Indiana, in 1993. TheClinton LumberKings have been in one city longer than any Midwest League team, having calledClinton, Iowa, home since 1954.
TheSouthwest Michigan Devil Rays moved toMidland, Michigan, and became theGreat Lakes Loons prior to the 2007 season.
On September 2, 2008, Minor League Baseball announced that two teams would transfer from the fellow Class ASouth Atlantic League to the Midwest League: theLake County Captains (an affiliate of theCleveland Indians playing inEastlake, Ohio) and theBowling Green Hot Rods (an affiliate of theTampa Bay Rays playing inBowling Green, Kentucky).[7]
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30.[8][9]
As part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues, the Midwest League was promoted to High-A, reduced to 12 teams, and temporarily renamed the "High-A Central" for the 2021 season.[10] Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, the High-A Central was renamed the Midwest League effective with the 2022 season.[11]
