Record-Setting Feats, Monarchs Championship, Largest Broadcast Footprint Ever Among Highlights of 2026 AAPB Season

With the Kansas City Monarchs finishing off a sweep of the Milwaukee Milkmen in a battle of the top seeds in each division, the 2026 American Association of Professioanal Baseball (AAPB) season is in the books, and it was one for the books. Record-setting feats on the field were matched by unprecedented success in sponsorship, social media and broadcast footprint growth as the premier MLB Partner League concluded its 21^st season of play.

“On and off the field, 2026 has been another hugely successful year for the American Association,” said AAPB Commissioner Joshua Schaub, whose contract was extended by three years through 2029 in July. “Interest in the league from fans, viewers and partners has never been higher, and we are excited at the prospects for 2027 and beyond.”

Among the 2026 AAPB highlights are:

• The AAPB broadcast footprint expanded to more than 70 million homes with the addition of partners like FanDuel Sports Network, SI TV, Unbeaten Sports Channel, RYZ, Bally’s Corporation, NLSE, FTF Sports (For the Fans), and SLVR Sports and Entertainment. This has led to a viewership projection of 15 million for the year.

• For the first time, MLB Network broadcasted the AAPB All-Star Game LIVE on July 15 from Lincoln, Neb., reaching 200,000+ viewers.

• AABaseball.tv, the league’s digital entity that streams every regular season and postseason game live and free, reached 42,217 subscribers (up 15% from 2025) and 231,610 hours streamed, 13x higher than 2022.

• The league’s social media reach has expanded by more than 1,000% over the past three seasons across its various platforms.

  • Social followers reached 60,439 (nearly double 2022)

  • Email subscribers hit 30,067 (+273% since 2022)

  • Website users grew 41% YoY to 200,067

• Teams logged more than 10,000 hours of community service, outreach and promotion in their respective markets.

• In August the AAPB announced expansion plans into Blaine, Minn., for the 2028 season, on “The Farm,” a new 70-acre sports and entertainment district now under construction.

• Leaguewide attendance surpassed the 1.4 million mark for the fifth straight season, with Sioux City experiencing the largest team increase, at 25%.

• Kane County won the 2026 Baseball Champions League title in Mexico City in March, defeating Los Dantos de Managua in the final. More than two million watched the event.

• Sponsorship revenue grew by approximately 20%, with new partners in a variety of categories, including:

  • Empire Netting and Fence (athletic netting, fence, shade structures)

  • ForeverLawn Sports Grass (turf, grounds and hospitality solutions)

  • Engine (all in one travel platform)

  • Daktronics (scoreboard/video board systems)

  • Catch (POS systems/mobile ordering solutions)

  • JDP (employee background checks, screening)

  • Rhodes Bake-N-Serve (home-baked quality frozen bread and roll dough)

• For the Kansas City Monarchs the AAPB Championship marked their third in the past six years, and first under new owners Quint Studer and KC Roots, who purchased the club from Mark Brandmeyer in April.

• The AAPB welcomed three new members into its Hall of Fame on July 14:

  • Lincoln Saltdogs owner Jim Abel.

  • Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks manager and former RedHawks and Major League catcher Chris Coste.

  • Longtime American Association standout Nate Samson.

• A total of 17 AAPB alumni played in Major League Baseball this year, including five first-time call-ups:

  • Bryan Torres, OF, St. Louis (Milwaukee 2022-23)

  • Rudy Martin Jr., OF, Toronto (Milwaukee, 2023)

  • Peyton Gray, RHP, Texas (Milwaukee, 2020, 2022-23)

  • Julian Garcia, RHP, Cincinnati (Kansas City, 2024-25)

  • Josh Hendrickson, LHP, Houston (Kansas City, 2025)

• On the field, several records were set, notably:

  • The Sioux City Explorers set a new league record for stolen bases in a season with 286, breaking their own mark of 275 set last season.

  • X’s outfielder Austin Davis was at the front of the line, swiping 80 bags for a new league mark.

  • Lake Country was an offensive machine, scoring a league record 771 runs.

  • Largely responsible was the DockHounds’ one-two outfield punch of Joshua Mears (league-record 38 home runs, 112 RBI) and Dom Johnson (.381 batting average, highest in AAPB since 2011).

  • The LincolnSaltdogs set a franchise record for runs in one game, by defeating the Sioux Falls Canaries, 22-11, at Sioux Falls Stadium, on Sept. 6.