Major League Wiffle Ball

Last updated
MLW Wiffle Ball
Current season, competition or edition:
Sports current event.svg 2024 MLW Wiffle Ball Season
Sport Wiffle Ball
FoundedMajor League Wiffle Ball (MLW), 2009;15 years ago (2009)
First season2010
CommissionerKyle Schultz
No. of teams8
CountriesUnited States (8 teams)
Headquarters Brighton, Michigan
Most recent
champion(s)
Metro Magic
(1st title)
Most titlesWestern Wildcats
(6 titles)
TV partner(s)
  • United States:
  • Broadcast
  • ESPN+
  • YouTube
  • Twitch
  • Live streaming
  • ESPN+
  • YouTube
  • Twitch
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • Canada:
  • Broadcast
  • YouTube
  • Twitch
  • Live streaming
  • YouTube
  • Twitch
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • International:
  • ESPN+
  • YouTube
  • Twitch
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • TikTok
Official website mlwwiffleball.com

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.

Contents

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

MLW 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

2010 (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

Teams †Series
Wins
Series
Played
Last
Won
Last
Played
Western Wildcats (AL)61020182021
Downtown Diamondbacks (NL)2220222022
Metro Magic (AL)1120232023
Great Lakes Gators (NL)1120202020
Pacific Predators (AL)1120192019
Central Cardinals1220132013
Eastern Eagles (NL)1620162023
Midwest Mallards (NL)1220172018
Northern Nighthawks01N/A2012
Coastal Cobras (AL)02N/A2022

Timeline

Major League Wiffle Ball

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References

  1. Nesbit, Stephen. "MLW Wiffle Ball started as a neighborhood league among friends. Now it's a burgeoning business". The Athletic. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  2. Monagan, Matt. "How a 10-year-old started a pro Wiffle Ball league". MLB.com. Retrieved 27 July 2023.