The Southern League (SL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States at the Double-A level, which is two grades below Major League Baseball. A champion has been determined at the end of each season since the league was formed in 1964.
Through 1970, champions were the regular-season pennant winners—the team with the best win–loss record at the conclusion of the regular season. The 1971 title was decided in a postseason series between the two teams with the best records. From 1972 to 1975, the winners of each of two divisions competed in a series to determine champions. The league operated using a split season format from 1976 to 2020. Under this format, the winners of each half within each division played for the division championship, and the division winners met to play for the SL title. The 2021 winner was crowned via a series between the two teams with the best full-season records. As of 2022, the winners of each division from both the first and second halves of the season meet in a best-of-three division series, with the winners of the two division series meeting in a best-of-three championship series.
The Birmingham Barons have won nine Southern League championships, more than any other team, followed by the Jacksonville Suns (6) and Montgomery Rebels (5). Among active SL franchises, Birmingham has won nine championships, the most of all teams, followed by the Knoxville Smokies (4) and Chattanooga Lookouts (3).
History
The Southern League was founded in 1964. A league champion has been determined at the end of each season. Champions from 1964 to 1970 were simply the regular-season pennant winners—the team with the best win–loss record at the conclusion of the regular championship season. The first league champions were the Lynchburg White Sox, who won by one game over the Birmingham Barons in 1964.
In 1971, the league merged with the Texas League to form the Dixie Association, an interleague partnership in which they played an interlocking schedule, and the leagues' champions met to determine a Dixie Association champion. The Southern League championship was determined via a best-of-three playoff series between the top two teams in the league, based on winning percentage. The top-seeded Charlotte Hornets defeated the Asheville Tourists, 2–1. Charlotte then won the Dixie Association title over the Texas League champion Arkansas Travelers, in three-straight games. The partnership was dissolved after the season.
The Southern League divided its teams into two divisions in 1972. From 1972 to 1975, the winners of each division met in a best-of-five series to determine a champion. In 1976, the circuit adopted a split season format while maintaining its divisional alignment. Under this arrangement, the schedule was split into two parts. The team with the best record in each division at the end of the first half won the first-half division title. Standings were then reset so that all clubs had clean records to begin the second half. Second-half division titles were decided in the same manner. Then, the first and second-half winners in each division met to determine division champions. These winners played for the Southern League championship.
The first four-team playoff, held in 1976, was won by the Western Division champion Montgomery Rebels over the Eastern Division champion Orlando Twins, 3–1. The 1976 playoffs featured a one-game semifinal divisional round and a best-of-five championship series. Both rounds were the best-of-three in 1977 and 1978. The 1979 playoffs had a best-of-three divisional round and a best-of-five final. From 1980 to 2020, both rounds were the best-of-five. Initially, if one team won both halves, they received a bye into the championship round. Beginning in 1982, the team in that division with the second-place full-season record was awarded a wild card berth and became the division champion's opponent.
The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Southern League ceased operations before the 2021 season in conjunction with Major League Baseball's (MLB) reorganization of Minor League Baseball. In place of the league, MLB created the Double-A South. Prior to the 2022 season, MLB renamed the Double-A South the Southern League, and it carried on the history of the circuit prior to reorganization. In 2021, the Double-A South held a best-of-five series between the two teams with the best records, regardless of division standings, to determine a league champion. The top-seeded Mississippi Braves bested the Montgomery Biscuits, 3–2, for the title.
In 2022, the Southern League returned to the split-season divisional format it has used for the majority of its existence. The winners of each half in a division vie for the division championship. The second-place overall team is awarded a wild card berth in the event the same team wins both halves. The division champions then compete for the Southern League championship. Both rounds are the best-of-three games.
Champions
Pre-playoff champions (1964–1970) +KeyRecordRegular-season win–loss recordGAGames ahead of the second-place team
+Champions Year Champion Record Runner-up 1964 Lynchburg White Sox 81–59 Birmingham Barons 1965 Columbus Confederate Yankees 79–59 Asheville Tourists 1966 Mobile Athletics 88–52 Asheville Tourists 1967 Birmingham A's 84–55 Montgomery Rebels 1968 Asheville Tourists 86–54 Montgomery Rebels 1969 Charlotte Hornets 81–59 Birmingham A's 1970 Columbus Astros 78–59 Montgomery Rebels
Playoff champions (1971–present)
+KeyScoreScore of the championship series*Co-championsPRegular-season pennant winnerEEast Division winnerWWest Division winner12Won both the first and second half of the split seasonWCWild card qualifier
+Champions Year Champion Score Runner-up Other playoff teams 1971 Charlotte Hornets 2–1 Asheville Tourists — 1972 3–0 Asheville Orioles — 1973 3–1 — 1974 3–2 — 1975 3–0 — 1976 3–1 Charlotte O's & Chattanooga Lookouts 1977 2–0 Savannah Braves 1978 2–1 Savannah Braves Orlando Twins 1979 Nashville Sounds 3–1 Columbus Astros Charlotte O's & Memphis Chicks 1980 Charlotte O's 3–1 Memphis Chicks Nashville Sounds & Savannah Braves 1981 Orlando Twins 3–1 Nashville Sounds Memphis Chicks & Savannah Braves 1982 Nashville Sounds 3–1 Columbus Astros & Knoxville Blue Jays 1983 Birmingham Barons 3–1 Nashville Sounds & Savannah Braves 1984 Charlotte O's 3–0 Knoxville Blue Jays Greenville Braves & Nashville Sounds 1985 Huntsville Stars 3–2 Charlotte O's Columbus Astros & Knoxville Blue Jays 1986 Columbus Astros 3–2 Jacksonville Expos & Knoxville Blue Jays 1987 Birmingham Barons 3–1 Charlotte O's Huntsville Stars & Jacksonville Expos 1988 3–0 Jacksonville Expos & Memphis Chicks 1989 Birmingham Barons 3–0 Huntsville Stars & Orlando Twins 1990 Memphis Chicks 3–2 Orlando SunRays Birmingham Barons & Jacksonville Expos 1991 Orlando SunRays 3–1 Birmingham Barons Greenville Braves & Knoxville Blue Jays 1992 3–2 Charlotte Knights & Huntsville Stars 1993 Birmingham Barons 3–1 Knoxville Smokies Greenville Braves & Nashville Xpress 1994 Huntsville Stars 3–1 Carolina Mudcats Chattanooga Lookouts & Greenville Braves 1995 Carolina Mudcats 3–2 Memphis Chicks & Orlando Cubs 1996 3–1 Carolina Mudcats & Memphis Chicks 1997 3–2 Knoxville Smokies & Mobile BayBears 1998 3–1 Huntsville Stars & Knoxville Smokies 1999 Orlando Rays 3–1 West Tenn Diamond Jaxx Chattanooga Lookouts & Knoxville Smokies 2000 West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 3–2 Birmingham Barons & Greenville Braves 2001* Huntsville Stars— — Birmingham Barons & Chattanooga Lookouts 2002 Birmingham Barons 3–0 Carolina Mudcats & West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 2003 Carolina Mudcats 3–2 Birmingham Barons & Tennessee Smokies 2004* — — Birmingham Barons & Chattanooga Lookouts Tennessee Smokies 2005 3–1 West Tenn Diamond Jaxx Birmingham Barons & Carolina Mudcats 2006 Montgomery Biscuits 3–1 Chattanooga Lookouts & Jacksonville Suns 2007 Montgomery Biscuits 3–2 Mississippi Braves & Tennessee Smokies 2008 3–2 Carolina Mudcats Birmingham Barons & West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 2009 3–1 Birmingham Barons & Huntsville Stars 2010 3–1 Mobile BayBears & West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 2011 3–1 Birmingham Barons & Chattanooga Lookouts 2012 3–1 Chattanooga Lookouts & Montgomery Biscuits 2013 Birmingham Barons 3–2 Mobile BayBears Mississippi Braves & Tennessee Smokies 2014 3–0 Huntsville Stars & Mobile BayBears 2015 3–2 Montgomery Biscuits & Pensacola Blue Wahoos 2016 3–0 Mississippi Braves Montgomery Biscuits & Pensacola Blue Wahoos 2017* — — Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp & Montgomery Biscuits Pensacola Blue Wahoos 2018 3–1 Montgomery Biscuits & Pensacola Blue Wahoos 2019 3–2 Montgomery Biscuits & Pensacola Blue Wahoos 2020 2021 3–2 Montgomery Biscuits — 2022 2–1 Tennessee Smokies Montgomery Biscuits & Rocket City Trash Pandas 2023 Tennessee Smokies 2–0 Pensacola Blue Wahoos Chattanooga Lookouts & Montgomery Biscuits 2024 Birmingham Barons 2–0 Montgomery Biscuits Biloxi Shuckers & Tennessee Smokies 2025 Birmingham Barons 2–1 Montgomery Biscuits Biloxi Shuckers & Chattanooga Lookouts 2026 Rocket City Trash Pandas 2–1 Biloxi Shuckers Knoxville Smokies & Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Wins by team
Active Southern League teams appear in bold.
Team Wins Year(s)Birmingham Barons (Birmingham A's)91967, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1993, 2002, 2013, 2024, 2025Jacksonville Suns61996, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2014Montgomery Rebels51972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977Jackson Generals (West Tenn Diamond Jaxx)42000, 2016, 2018, 2019Knoxville Smokies (Knoxville Sox/Tennessee Smokies)1974, 1978, 2004, 2023Mobile BayBears1998, 2004, 2011, 2012Chattanooga Lookouts31988, 2015, 2017Huntsville Stars1985, 1994, 2001Orlando Rays (Orlando Twins/SunRays)1981, 1991, 1999Carolina Mudcats21995, 2003Charlotte Hornets1969, 1971Charlotte O's1980, 1984Columbus Astros1970, 1986Greenville Braves1992, 1997Mississippi Braves2008, 2021Montgomery Biscuits2006, 2007Nashville Sounds1979, 1982Pensacola Blue Wahoos2017, 2022Asheville Tourists11968Columbus Confederate Yankees1965Lynchburg White Sox1964Memphis Chicks1990Mobile Athletics1966Rocket City Trash Pandas2026
Notes
References Specific
General