Professional Baseball is Coming to Simcoe County

Barrie, ON — The Barrie Baycats Baseball Club is pleased to acknowledge and support today’s landmark announcement that the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) has officially transitioned into a fully professional league under its new name: the Canadian Baseball League (CBL).

The rebrand marks a historic evolution for one of Canada’s longest-running baseball leagues. While the league’s visual identity remains largely familiar—with logos and marks updated to reflect the new name—the most significant changes lie within the league’s competitive structure and overall professional direction.

“For the IBL to go Pro, it allows the league to work together to grow the footprint of baseball in not only Ontario but Canada,” said Baycats President Josh Matlow. “There are some great people behind this and a part of this league that are going to help guide this league into the next chapter of Canadian Baseball and I am honoured to be a part of it.”

Beginning in 2026, each team will compete in a 48-game regular season, an increase of six games from 2025. An additional week has been added to the end of the season to accommodate the expanded schedule. With that the first round of the playoffs will be eliminated.

The CBL postseason will be reduced to five teams, with the fourth and fifth seeds competing in a one-game Wild Card Playoff for a spot in the Semi-Finals. Both the Semi-Finals and Finals will adopt a best-of-seven format to provide a more professional and competitive playoff experience.

Import roster spots have been expanded from five to eight, giving clubs more roster-building flexibility and further elevating the league’s on-field product.

This new era introduced by the CBL represents an exciting opportunity for the Barrie Baycats and the league as a whole. 

“The Baycats organization is extremely excited for the longevity and growth of Canadian Baseball and the opportunities it will bring Canadian ball players long term,” said Matlow. “This is a great move in the right direction to help ensure baseball is growing in this country and continues to grow for many years to come. It also allows great opportunities down the line to play professional baseball for some of these young kids and collegiate athletes in some of their own backyards”.

The Baycats will share additional updates with fans and partners as preparations begin for the inaugural Canadian Baseball League season. 

“I look forward to the next chapter for the Baycats and Canadian Baseball!”

Professional baseball in Barrie begins on Thursday, May 14th at Athletic Kulture Stadium. Stay Tuned for more information.