Majors League Description

Buckhead Baseball’s Majors League is comprised of ten teams. Each team is comprised of 11 players, which are made up of a combination of 11- and 12-year-olds. By rule, each Majors team must have a minimum of four 12-year-olds. All Majors teams are coached by community volunteer coaches i.e. “non-dad” coaches. 

Buckhead Baseball’s Majors League is our most competitive league—it is the only league at Buckhead Baseball in which not all players that try out are drafted onto a team. For the 2026 Spring season, we anticipate that approximately 126 players will try out, and 67 of those players will be drafted onto Majors teams.

Majors games are governed by so-called “travel” rules, under which baserunners are allowed to lead off of bases and steal bases before the pitch crosses the plate, while pitchers may attempt to pick-off baserunners while being subject to balk rules.

During Majors games, all players must play at least one defensive inning within the first three innings of the game. All players are also required to take at least one at-bat, and play at least two defensive innings in games reaching at least four defensive innings.

The Majors regular season is comprised of 22 games, followed by a double-elimination playoff tournament. Regular season and play-off pennants are awarded to the respective champions, which are represented on the flag-pole outside of the right field fence at Raymond Balz Field.

Majors Try Outs & Draft

Majors try outs will take place on January 9^th, 2027 The Majors try outs will resemble try outs in which players have participated in younger leagues at Buckhead Baseball—generally, players will have an opportunity to hit, field ground balls and fly balls, and demonstrate their throwing ability. It is also likely that, at their election, players will have an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to pitch and/or catch for the Majors coaches. Player try outs will be filmed for coaches’ subsequent review.

PLEASE NOTE: to try out for Buckhead Baseball Majors league, players must have played a Spring AAA season at Buckhead Baseball.  Exceptions will be made at board discretion for extenuating circumstances, out of town moves, injury, etc.

The Majors draft will take place on January 22, 2027.

Next Steps for Players Not Drafted onto a Majors Team

Players not drafted onto a Majors team are eligible to play in our AAA League, whether or not they elect to participate in the AAA try out. Each player’s try out appearance will be recorded on video for coaches’ review, and will be made available to AAA coaches.  The AAA draft will occur on January 29th.

We strongly encourage players who aren’t drafted onto a Majors team to continue their Buckhead Baseball career in our AAA League. All players are unique and progress at different rates, and an extra year of leading a team in our AAA league may be exactly what some players need to prepare them for success in Majors. In 2025, Buckhead Baseball invested in the conversion of J. Kevin Baker Field to a turf field, and we have revamped team branding and uniforms, and ended the AAA season with a “travel ball style” pool & bracket play tournament. In short, we are excited to showcase changes to our AAA League, and believe that it will continue to be a great experience for players and families.

If a player should elect not to participate in our AAA League prior to January 29th, Buckhead Baseball will facilitate the withdrawal of the player’s registration and refund of their registration fee. Families should notify Buckhead Baseball IN WRITING of this decision to withdraw the player’s registration by sending an email to registrar@buckheadbaseball.com. 

Next Steps For Player Drafted onto a Majors Team

Players drafted onto a Majors team will be notified on the night of the draft, and will likely start practice with their new team the following day. Majors teams will practice frequently (likely four times per week) following the draft. Majors games will commence on February 23 and will continue through the first weekend in May, with breaks for public and private school holidays. With the exception of weekends into which school holidays extend, players can expect to play games on Saturdays and Sundays of all weekends within that period, as well as many weeknights. Weekend games are played throughout the day and into the evenings, while weeknight games are generally scheduled for 5:30PM and 7:30PM.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How and when will I know whether my child has been drafted onto a Majors team?

A: On the night of the draft, before any public announcement of new Majors team rosters, Buckhead Baseball volunteers will make every effort to call parents of each player who was not drafted onto a Majors team. Please note that these volunteers have no involvement in the selection of players in the draft, and no ability to change or influence the draft in any way. Please be respectful of these volunteers.

After undrafted players have been contacted, Buckhead Baseball will send emails to all players who have been drafted onto a Majors team, and someone from that team’s coaching staff will likely also contact that player’s family directly.

Q: My child is awesome. Why wasn’t s/he drafted onto a Majors team?

A: Without question, your child is awesome! There are any number of reasons why your child wasn’t drafted onto a Majors team. Animosity or bias against your child is not one of them. Instead, our Majors coaches are very competitive and very motivated to conduct an efficient draft, selecting players that will give them the best chance to win the league. As part of that effort, they may not utilize one of their few picks to draft your child if they already have an accomplished returning player on their team that ably plays the position that is your child’s best position.

The age-old wisdom that each child is unique and progresses at different rates is absolutely true—it could be possible that baseball won’t fully “click” for your unique child until after the draft, and when it does, they’ll never look back.

We are disappointed and sympathetic when any child who wants to play in our Majors League isn’t drafted by a team. While it will be commonplace in club sports, middle school sports, high school sports, etc., this is likely the first time many of our Majors candidates will have participated in a “cut” try out, and the disappointment for them and their families from not being drafted may understandably be difficult to process. Among the myriad hopes we have for those players, we hope that (a) they will continue to play AAA baseball at Buckhead Baseball, and continue to improve while enjoying our wonderful community, and (b) they and their families will use this set-back as an opportunity to learn to navigate adversity—an inevitability in life—and exercise persistence in pursuing improvement.

Q: If my child is drafted onto a Majors team, what sort of time and expense commitment should I expect?

A: If your child is drafted onto a Majors team, expect a serious commitment. It is not uncommon for teams to practice 4+ days/week into early season, and continue with four events/week (including games) when the season is in full swing.

Also, Majors teams typically have at least two uniforms, and several teams may have three or more. Majors teams will also often organize tailgates for several (if not most) games during the season, and some social events outside of the ballpark. Team families typically split expenses for these endeavors, and the costs can range from several hundred dollars to over $1,000 per family, in addition to Buckhead Baseball registration fees. The fun and camaraderie from being part of a Majors team are truly highlights for Buckhead Baseball families, but participation does entail investments in time and money.

Q: If my child is drafted onto a Majors team, how much can s/he expect to play?

A: Playing time for Majors players varies depending on the composition of their team and the player’s particular development. Majors rules require all players to play at least one defensive inning within the first three innings of every game; and all players must take at least one at-bat, and play at least two defensive innings in games reaching at least four defensive innings. It is not uncommon for 11-year-olds to see minimal playing time—potentially satisfying those minimum participation requirements, and not much more—as coaches will often prioritize playing time for more developed and experienced 12-year-olds. Then again, by necessity, teams with comparatively fewer 12-years-olds may provide more playing time for 11-year-olds; while some 11-year-olds whose size or skills are more developed may enjoy significantly more playing time.

Q: If a player has a “bad” try out, does s/he have any chance of being drafted onto a Majors team?

A: Yes! The Majors coaches do lots of player research prior to the try out—they are often familiar with players based on their performance in younger leagues at Buckhead Baseball. It is unlikely that a “bad” try out alone would prevent an otherwise accomplished player from being drafted onto a Majors team.

Q: Does a player have a better chance to be drafted on to a Majors team if they participate in optional pitching or catching try out reps?

A: It depends, but practically speaking, accomplished pitchers and catchers are likely to improve their chances of being drafted by participating in optional pitching or catching try out reps, while less experienced or accomplished pitchers and catchers likely are not.

Q: What equipment is required for players in the Majors League?

A: Players are permitted to use USSSA “big barrel” bats—please see our gear requirements under the Registration tab at www.buckheadbaseball.com. Molded cleats may not be worn by pitchers while pitching from the turf mound on Raymond Balz Field—pitchers must wear “turf shoes” or running shoes. Some Majors teams may have catchers’ gear for general use, but many catchers prefer to bring and use their own catchers gear. While different Majors coaches will have different rules and guidelines for their players, Buckhead Baseball strongly encourages young men to wear cups for practices and games.