2024 Prospect League season

15th annual season of the Prospect League
Sports season
2024 Prospect League season
LeagueProspect League
SportBaseball
DurationMay 28 – July 31
(Playoffs: August 1 – August 8)
Number of games60 (540 games in total)
Number of teams18
Northeast Division
Central Division
Northwest Division
South Division
Prospect League Championship
Seasons
← 2023
2025 →

The 2024 Prospect League season is the 15th 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 18 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 Chillicothe Paints entered the season as two-time defending champions, having defeated the Quincy Gems, two games to one, in the league's 2023 championship series.[1]

Season schedule

Despite reaching the Prospect League Championship in 2023, the Quincy Gems announced that they would no longer play at QU Stadium and would not return for the 2024 season. The Gems would seek relocation for any potential future seasons.[2][3]

After the Gems announced they would not play in 2024, the league brought in two new teams for the season, the Dubois County Bombers and the Full Count Rhythm.[4][5] For the Bombers, it would be their second stint in the league with the first one being from 2009 to 2012.

The 18 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 60-game schedule, which is split between two halves, with the first half ending on June 30 and the second half ending on July 31. 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).[6]

Regular season standings

First half standings

Eastern Conference

Northeast Division Regular Season Standings
Pos Team G W L Pct. GB
1 Chillicothe Paints 12 8 4 .667 --
2 Johnstown Mill Rats 14 8 6 .571 1.0
3 Lafayette Aviators 14 6 8 .429 3.0
4 Champion City Kings 13 5 8 .385 3.5
Central Division Regular Season Standings
Pos Team G W L Pct. GB
1 Danville Dans 13 8 5 .615 --
2 Terre Haute Rex 13 6 7 .462 2.0
3 Normal CornBelters 15 6 9 .400 3.0
4 Full Count Rhythm 14 4 10 .286 4.5
5 Dubois County Bombers 15 4 11 .267 5.0

Western Conference

Northwest Division Regular Season Standings
Pos Team G W L Pct. GB
1 Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp 14 10 4 .714 --
2 Clinton LumberKings 12 8 4 .667 1.0
3 Burlington Bees 12 3 9 .250 6.0
4 Springfield Lucky Horseshoes 12 3 9 .250 6.0
South Division Regular Season Standings
Pos Team G W L Pct. GB
1 Thrillville Thrillbillies 13 10 3 .769 --
2 Jackson Rockabillys 13 9 4 .692 1.0
3 Alton River Dragons 14 9 5 .643 1.5
4 O'Fallon Hoots 15 9 6 .600 2.0
5 Cape Catfish 14 5 9 .357 5.5

Second half standings

Eastern Conference

Northeast Division Regular Season Standings
Pos Team G W L Pct. GB
1 Champion City Kings 0 0 0 --
2 Chillicothe Paints 0 0 0 --
3 Johnstown Mill Rats 0 0 0 --
4 Lafayette Aviators 0 0 0 --
Central Division Regular Season Standings
Pos Team G W L Pct. GB
1 Danville Dans 0 0 0 --
2 Dubois County Bombers 0 0 0 --
3 Full Count Rhythm 0 0 0 --
4 Normal CornBelters 0 0 0 --
5 Terre Haute Rex 0 0 0 --

Western Conference

Northwest Division Regular Season Standings
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 Springfield Lucky Horseshoes 0 0 0 --
South Division Regular Season Standings
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

Northeast Division Regular Season Standings
Pos Team G W L Pct. GB
1 Champion City Kings 0 0 0 --
2 Chillicothe Paints 0 0 0 --
3 Johnstown Mill Rats 0 0 0 --
4 Lafayette Aviators 0 0 0 --
Central Division Regular Season Standings
Pos Team G W L Pct. GB
1 Danville Dans 0 0 0 --
2 Dubois County Bombers 0 0 0 --
3 Full Count Rhythm 0 0 0 --
4 Normal CornBelters 0 0 0 --
5 Terre Haute Rex 0 0 0 --

Western Conference

Northwest Division Regular Season Standings
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 Springfield Lucky Horseshoes 0 0 0 --
South Division Regular Season Standings
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

[7]

Statistical leaders

Hitting

Stat Player Team Total
HR Samuel Fabian Chillicothe Paints 4
AVG Lucas Smith Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp .467
RBIs Tyler Dorsch, Alex Bemis Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp, Chillicothe Paints 21
SB Lane Crowden Cape Catfish 22

Pitching

Stat Player Team Total
W Preston Drebes, Garrett Helsel Thrillville Thrillbillies, Chillicothe Paints 3
ERA Grant Holderfield Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp 0.53
SO Garrett Helsel Chillicothe Paints 23
SV Harrison Dubois Alton River Dragons 6

Awards

All-star selections

Eastern Conference

Hitters
Position Player Team
C TBD TBD
1B TBD TBD
2B TBD TBD
3B TBD TBD
SS TBD TBD
OF TBD TBD
OF TBD TBD
OF TBD TBD
Pitchers
Position Player Team
SP TBD TBD
SP TBD TBD
SP TBD TBD
SP TBD TBD
RP TBD TBD
RP TBD TBD
RP TBD TBD
RP TBD TBD

Western Conference

Hitters
Position Player Team
C TBD TBD
1B TBD TBD
2B TBD TBD
3B TBD TBD
SS TBD TBD
OF TBD TBD
OF TBD TBD
OF TBD TBD
Pitchers
Position Player Team
SP TBD TBD
SP TBD TBD
SP TBD TBD
SP TBD TBD
RP TBD TBD
RP TBD TBD
RP TBD TBD
RP TBD TBD

End of year awards

Award Player Team
Most Valuable Player TBD TBD
Pro Prospect of the Year TBD TBD
Starting Pitcher of the Year TBD TBD
Relief Pitcher of the Year TBD TBD
Manager of the Year TBD TBD
Social Media of the Year N/A TBD
Broadcaster of the Year TBD TBD
Ballpark Experience of the Year N/A TBD
PLTV Broadcast of the Year N/A TBD
Executive of the Year TBD TBD
Organization of the Year N/A TBD

Playoffs

Format

The playoffs will begin with four winner-take-all division championships followed by two winner-take-all conference championships and will conclude with a best-of-three league championship series. The playoffs are tentatively slated to begin on August 1 and conclude on August 8.

Playoff bracket

Division Championship Round Conference Championship Round Prospect League Championship Series
(best-of-three)
           
 
 
 
↑ Northeast / ↓ Central
 
 
 
 
↑ Eastern / ↓ Western
 
 
 
 
↑ Northwest / ↓ South
 
 
 

See also

References

  1. ^ "Prospect League: Chillicothe Paints win 2nd straight title". advantagenews.com. August 14, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  2. ^ "Quincy Gems not returning next season; future beyond 2024 unclear". wgem.com. August 29, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  3. ^ "Owners say Gems won't play in Quincy during 2024 season, plan to move franchise to different city". muddyriversports.com. August 29, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  4. ^ "Dubois County Bombers join nationally renowned Prospect League in 2024". duboiscountyfreepress.com. September 21, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  5. ^ "Full Count Rhythm set to join Prospect League in 2024". mainstreetmediatn.com. September 20, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  6. ^ "Prospect League Announces 2024 Schedule". prospectleague.com. January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  7. ^ "2024 Prospect League Standings". prospectleague.com. January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024.