[PocketsAintFull]

Denver, NABA League Office, 17:01, April 1st 2020

"Who's going to watch this over MLB?", I ask the NABA President, Henry Chadwick. "Everyone!", the Englishman exclaims.

No low expectations to be found here, as the North American Baseball league, a new 24 team competition across Canada, the USA and Mexico, launches its first ever season. 6 brand new teams from Canada, 6 brand new teams from Mexico, and 12 brand new teams from the United States, absolutely none of which are in cities with current MLB franchises - was this a hard sell to investors? "Not at all", the President chimes back, smiling like the proud parent of a newborn. "We're bringing baseball back to the people who've missed it, and closer to its roots". Roots is a fair word for the placement of the (single) Minor League affiliations too - all are located nearer to their Majors team than anywhere else. Financially, 50% of team revenues will be shared across the league, in the hope of better financial parity. If owners wish to spend equally is another question, of course.

Whether the NABA can captivate its audiences across three countries remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure - it's certainly an exciting development for baseball fans. Today, we take a look at the teams, players, and key features behind the new league. Time to play ball!

Structure

Two conferences, the Pacific and Atlantic, with two divisions each of six teams. The USA West and Mexican divisions make up the Pacific Conference, and the USA East and Canadian divisions complete the Atlantic.

There will be 120 regular season games (including Interleague play), and two teams from each division will make the Playoffs. They will cross-play the other division in their conference, 1v2 and 2v1, then advance to a Conference Championship, and finally the NABA League Series, between the two Conference Champions.

Teams

(Minor League (AA) affiliates in brackets)

USA West Division (PC)
Cheyenne Mad Dogs (Albuquerque Tar Heels)
Las Vegas Rock Cats (Flagstaff Mercury)
Portland Diplomats (Eugene All-Stars)
Salt Lake City Surge (Boise Fire)
San Antonio Sultans (Corpus Christi Renegades)
San Jose Gamecocks (Stockton Valiants)

Mexican Division (PC)
Juarez Whitecaps (Chihuahua Blues)
Leon Mountaineers (San Luis Potosi Coyotes)
Mexico City Coyotes (Pachuca Beach Boys)
Monterrey Alligators (Reynosa Storm)
Puebla Alleycats (Cordoba Marksmen)
Tijuana Phantoms (Ensenada Lookouts)

USA East Division (AC)
Buffalo Vandals (Syracuse Golden Panthers)
Charlotte Pilots (Columbia Swamp Foxes)
Jacksonville Blue Knights (Tallahassee Seafarers)
Nashville Jammers (Chattanooga Jayhawks)
New Orleans Lakers (Mobile Vikings)
Omaha Pride (Des Moines War Eagles)

Canadian Division (AC)
Calgary Running Rebels (Lethbridge Predators)
Edmonton Wolverines (Lloydminster Blue Jackets)
Montreal Diamond Cats (Sherbrooke Monarchs)
Ottawa Whalers (Kingston T-Bones)
Vancouver Seadogs (Victoria Bucks)
Winnipeg Unicorns (Brandon Scarlet Knights)

The Top 3 Inaugural Draft Picks

1) SP Travis Deemer (USA), 24, picked by Monterrey Alligators
2) 2B Juan Martinez (USA), 27, picked by Buffalo Vandals
3) SS Nelson Espinosa (DOM), 38, picked by Ottawa Whalers

Time for Opening Day! Let the season begin!