Atlantic League Adds 2nd Pro Baseball Team in Lexington, 10th Overall

The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) announced today it has added a 10th team for the 2022 campaign.

Referred to as the Kentucky team (KY), the club will be listed on the league’s official 24th Championship Series Season schedule when it is released later this week. The club is owned by Lexington-based Stands LLC, which plans to announce a team name shortly. 

The Kentucky team will join the Legends as the other team in Lexington, and will come together with existent ALPB clubs, in addition to the a Staten Island team, that will make up a 10-member ALPB association in 2022.

A tenth city will join the league in 2023 when Hagerstown, Maryland, fields an Atlantic League club.

“The addition of the Kentucky club will provide travel advantages in our league schedule,” Atlantic League President Rick White said in a press release. “The league is grateful to Stands LLC CEO Andy Shea and the entire Legends organization for their generous offer to host a second team in their ballpark.”

Shea, who noted the agreement was made easier by the earlier decision to install an artificial turf field in Lexington, said the Legends look forward to sharing their home with another team.

“One thing we’ve learned about this great city is that there is room for more baseball in Lexington,” Shea said. “Our fans deserve high-quality in all the games in the league’s schedule.”

With a wink, Shea added an ulterior motive.

“Besides,” he said, “a second Kentucky team doubles the chances that the Atlantic League trophy stays in Lexington another year.”

The league is finalizing its 2022 schedule and plans to issue it by the end of this week.

For more information on the league expansion and the ALPB, please view AtlanticLeague.com.

— Jerry Del Priore