The Intercounty Baseball League is growing, and so is the list of cities that want in.
Following two consecutive years of record-setting attendance and the addition of the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers as the league’s ninth franchise in 2024, the IBL is now actively searching for a tenth team to begin play in 2026. According to league commissioner Ted Kalnins, formal inquiries have come from multiple communities across Ontario and beyond, including Windsor, Ajax, Oshawa, other parts of the Greater Toronto Area, and even Montréal.
“Expanding to 10 teams would allow us to grow our geographic footprint and create two divisions of five, which would help with travel savings and scheduling,” Kalnins told BNN Bloomberg earlier this month.
Founded in 1919, the Intercounty Baseball League is Canada’s longest continuously operating baseball league. Now in its 107th season, the IBL has grown into a nine-team circuit spanning Southern Ontario with a mix of former MLB and minor league players, as well as some top local and international talent.
Nearly 20,000 fans turned out earlier this month across the league’s opening weekend. The Welland Jackfish sold out their Saturday home opener, with over 3,200 fans in attendance. London, Hamilton, and Toronto also posted strong numbers, with the Maple Leafs setting a new team record by drawing over 3,000 fans to Christie Pits.
LINK: Intercounty Baseball League logos
Over 184,000 fans turned up at IBL ballparks in 2024; that number is expected to surpass 200,000 in 2025. If so, it would mark the third straight season the league has set a new all-time attendance high. This all comes as the league has evolved from a semi-professional summer league into a higher-calibre baseball league.
“Last year, we had nearly 200,000 fans, and I’m extremely confident we’ll surpass that this year,” said Kalnins. “A couple of teams have changed hands and are now owned by more progressive owners who are investing more in marketing and fan engagement.”
Fernando Rodney, a three-time MLB All-Star and 2019 World Series champion, signed with the Hamilton Cardinals this spring. Ayami Sato, one of the most decorated female pitchers in the world, made history this month by becoming the first woman to play in an IBL game, starting on the mound for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their home opener. Other former IBL players include Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins, Jesse Orosco, Paul Spoljaric, and John Axford.
Windsor had long been rumoured as a potential home for an IBL team. It would give the league another major market in southwestern Ontario to pair with London and Chatham. Ajax and Oshawa would expand the league’s footprint east of Toronto and give Durham Region its second shot at the league following the Oshawa Dodgers in the early 2000s. While geographically outside the league’s current southern Ontario boundary, expanding to Montreal would certainly turn some heads and indicate the league is willing to take one giant leap towards, perhaps, a more national league.
Interested ownership groups are being invited to contact the league directly at expansion@theibl.ca
