Major League Wiffle Ball (MLW) is a wiffle ball league based out of Brighton, Michigan. MLW operates on YouTube or on television or other social media. MLW Wiffle Ball consists of eight teams, that are divided equally between the National League and the American League. All eight teams play their games at The Meadows, which is located in the Huron Clinton Metropark in Brighton.
Current season, competition or edition:![]() | |
Sport | Wiffle Ball |
---|---|
Founded | Major League Wiffle Ball (MLW), 2009 |
First season | 2010 |
Commissioner | Kyle Schultz |
No. of teams | 8 |
Countries | United States (8 teams) |
Headquarters | Brighton, Michigan |
Most recent champion(s) | Metro Magic (1st title) |
Most titles | Western Wildcats (6 titles) |
TV partner(s) | |
Official website | mlwwiffleball.com |
The league was founded in 2009 in Brighton, Michigan by brothers Kyle, Brendan, and Daniel Schultz and their neighbors Tommy and Rachel Coughlin. They played their games originally at the Schultz's house in their front yard and called the field Cultz Field, a combination of the two families' last names.[1][2]
The league also holds several tournaments across the country for fans to play in, with the chance to enter MLW via a yearly entry draft. The league holds two annual tournaments as of 2024, one in their hometown of Brighton called the "Wiffle in the Mitten" and the other in Peoria, Illinois called the "Midwest Slugfest". The league has also hosted tournaments in New York, Pennsylvania, Boston, Texas, Phoenix, and Long Island. They have also played their league games in minor league baseball stadiums such as Toledo, Ohio, home of the Toledo Mudhens, and St. Louis, home of the Gateway Grizzlies. MLW has played games partnered with several MLB teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers. The 2022 World Series was played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, although it was closed to the public. MLW then hosted the 2023 World Series at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, with fans in attendance. The largest attendance in MLW history was the 2023 St. Louis Series in Sauget, Illinois.
Gameplay Style
editMLW plays their scheduled series in a three-game series with each game being at least three innings, for a total of at least nine innings over the entire series. As for the overall gameplay, it is mostly similar to wiffle ball rules. The fielding team is made up of three defenders: the pitcher and two fielders. The strike zone is very different from baseball as there is a physical strike zone for pitches to hit. The strike zone is 23 inches by 18 inches. The ball does not need to cross what would be considered a "normal strike zone" but instead, just needs to hit the physical, rectangular zone. The league also allows pegging base runners. Along with this, the league doesn't have catchers, so in order to record an out at home, the ball must reach either the backstop or hit the metal strike zone before the player touches home plate.
Results
edit2010 (2 teams): Western Wildcats beat Eastern Eagles (3-1)
2011 (3 teams): Western Wildcats beat Central Cardinals (3-0)
2012 (4 teams): Western Wildcats beat Northern Nighthawks (3-2)
2013 (5 teams): Central Cardinals beat Western Wildcats (3-0)
2014 (4 teams): Western Wildcats beat Eastern Eagles (3-2)
2015 (4 teams): Western Wildcats beat Eastern Eagles (3-2)
2016 (5 teams): Eastern Eagles beat Western Wildcats (3-1)
2017 (6 teams): Midwest Mallards beat Coastal Cobras (3-2)
2018 (6 teams): Western Wildcats beat Midwest Mallards (3-1)
2019 (8 teams): Pacific Predators beat Eastern Eagles (3-0)
2020 (8 teams): Great Lakes Gators beat Western Wildcats (3-1)
2021 (8 teams): Downtown Diamondbacks beat Western Wildcats (3-2)
2022 (8 teams): Downtown Diamondbacks beat Coastal Cobras (3-0)
2023 (8 teams): Metro Magic beat Eastern Eagles (3-2)
World Series records
editTeams † | Series Wins |
Series Played |
Last Won |
Last Played |
---|---|---|---|---|
Western Wildcats (AL) | 6 | 10 | 2018 | 2021 |
Downtown Diamondbacks (NL) | 2 | 2 | 2022 | 2022 |
Metro Magic (AL) | 1 | 1 | 2023 | 2023 |
Great Lakes Gators (NL) | 1 | 1 | 2020 | 2020 |
Pacific Predators (AL) | 1 | 1 | 2019 | 2019 |
Central Cardinals | 1 | 2 | 2013 | 2013 |
Eastern Eagles (NL) | 1 | 6 | 2016 | 2023 |
Midwest Mallards (NL) | 1 | 2 | 2017 | 2018 |
Northern Nighthawks | 0 | 1 | N/A | 2012 |
Coastal Cobras (AL) | 0 | 2 | N/A | 2022 |
Timeline
edit![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/t2l1ae7bftpdslyddcl7aej5ub9e3kg.png)
References
edit- ^ Nesbit, Stephen. "MLW Wiffle Ball started as a neighborhood league among friends. Now it's a burgeoning business". The Athletic. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ Monagan, Matt. "How a 10-year-old started a pro Wiffle Ball league". MLB.com. Retrieved 27 July 2023.