The 2024 Prospect League season was 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.
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.
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. 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).
Regular season standings
First half standings
Eastern Conference
+ Northeast Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1 x – Chillicothe Paints291910--2Lafayette Aviators2714134.03 y – Johnstown Mill Rats2913166.04Champion City Kings2972212.0
+ Central Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1 x – Danville Dans301713--2 y – Terre Haute Rex 2815131.03Normal CornBelters2914152.54Full Count Rhythm2812164.05Dubois County Bombers2912174.5
Western Conference
+ Northwest Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1 x – Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp26179--2 y – Clinton LumberKings2615112.03Springfield Lucky Horseshoes268189.04Burlington Bees2962312.5
+ South Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1 x – Thrillville Thrillbillies27216--2Jackson Rockabillys2717104.03O'Fallon Hoots2817114.54Alton River Dragons2613137.55 y – Cape Catfish2914158.0
Second half standings
Eastern Conference
+ Northeast Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1 x – Chillicothe Paints271710--2 y – Johnstown Mill Rats2713144.03Lafayette Aviators2912176.04Champion City Kings2711166.0
+ Central Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1 y – Terre Haute Rex 271710--2Normal CornBelters2614122.53 x – Danville Dans2613133.54Full Count Rhythm2713144.05Dubois County Bombers257189.0
Western Conference
+ Northwest Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1 y – Clinton LumberKings291910--2 x – Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp3018121.53Springfield Lucky Horseshoes2916133.04Burlington Bees2711167.0
+ South Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1 y – Cape Catfish271710--2Jackson Rockabillys2816121.53O'Fallon Hoots2812165.54Alton River Dragons2711166.05 x – Thrillville Thrillbillies2810187.5
Full season standings
Eastern Conference
+ Northeast Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1 x – Chillicothe Paints563620--2Lafayette Aviators56263010.03 y – Johnstown Mill Rats56263010.04Champion City Kings56183818.0
+ Central Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1 y – Terre Haute Rex 553223--2 x – Danville Dans5630262.53Normal CornBelters5528274.04Full Count Rhythm5525307.05Dubois County Bombers54193512.5
Western Conference
+ Northwest Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1 x – Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp563521--2 y – Clinton LumberKings5534210.53Springfield Lucky Horseshoes55243110.54Burlington Bees56173918.0
+ South Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. GB1Jackson Rockabillys553322--2 x – Thrillville Thrillbillies5531242.03 y – Cape Catfish5631252.54O'Fallon Hoots5629274.55Alton River Dragons5324298.0
x – First Half Winner, clinched playoff spot y – Second Half Winner, clinched playoff spot
Statistical leaders
Hitting Stat Player Team Total HR Gabe Wright, Shane Lewis Terre Haute Rex, Lafayette Aviators 9 AVG Alec Gonzalez Lafayette Aviators .400 RBIs Jaison Andujar Springfield Lucky Horseshoes 51 SB Lane Crowden, Jimmy Koza Cape Catfish, Springfield Lucky Horseshoes 46
Pitching Stat Player Team Total W Joshua Mauney, Trey Watson Springfield Lucky Horseshoes, Jackson Rockabillys 6 ERA Trey Watson Jackson Rockabillys 3.21 SO Gunnar Brown Danville Dans 70 SV Jaxson Lucas Jackson Rockabillys 13
Awards
All-star selections
Eastern Conference +Hitters PositionPlayerTeam C Cole Raile Paints 1B Landen Johnson CornBelters 2B Jhors Gomez Paints 3B Dom Krupinski Mill Rats 3B Felix Polanco Paints SS Nomar Garcia Rex OF Eric Colaco Paints OF Mikey Scott Aviators OF Gabe Wright Rex UT Tyler Castro CornBelters DH Graham Mastros Dans
+Pitchers PositionPlayerTeam SP Gunnar Brown Dans SP Ian Korn Mill Rats SP Aaron Moss Rex SP Deron Swanson Rex RP Austin Morris Dans RP Jake Stuteville Bombers RP Breyllin Suriel Rex RP Carter White Paints
Western Conference +Hitters PositionPlayerTeam C Makana Olaso Pistol Shrimp 1B Erik Broekemeier River Dragons 2B Jack Meyer Hoots 3B Bryson Lofton Hoots SS Kyle Gibson Pistol Shrimp OF Tyler Dorsch Pistol Shrimp OF Jalen Martinez LumberKings OF Jaison Andujar Lucky Horseshoes UT Lane Crowden Catfish DH Justin Santoyo River Dragons
+Pitchers PositionPlayerTeam SP Jimmy Burke LumberKings SP Ean DiPasquale LumberKings SP Jared Herzog Pistol Shrimp SP Trey Waton Rockabillys RP Markell Dixon Hoots RP Harrison Dubois River Dragons RP Sam Lavin LumberKings RP Jaxson Lucas Rockabillys
End of year awards Award Player Team Most Valuable Player Eric Colaco Chillicothe Paints Pro Prospect of the Year Eric Colaco Chillicothe Paints Pitcher of the Year Ean DiPasquale Clinton LumberKings Relief Pitcher of the Year Jaxson Lucas Jackson Rockabillys Manager of the Year John Jakiemiec Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp Social Media of the Year N/A Dubois County Bombers Broadcaster of the Year Jacob Wise Chillicothe Paints Ballpark Experience of the Year Marion Stadium Thrillville Thrillbillies General Manager of the Year Bryan Wickline Chillicothe Paints Organization of the Year N/A O'Fallon Hoots
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
See also 2024 Major League Baseball season
References