| Constellation Energy League | |
| Sport: | Baseball |
| Founded: | 2020 |
| Folded: | 2020 |
| Teams: | 4 |
| Country: | United States |
| Venue: | Constellation Field |
| Headquarters: | Sugar Land, Texas |
| Classification: | Independent |
| Champions: | Sugar Land Skeeters |
The Constellation Energy League was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas during 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions limiting travel, and as a way to create opportunities for minor league players.[1]
The league consisted of four teams,[2] each managed by a former Major League Baseball (MLB) player:
| Team | Manager | Roster | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Reyes del Tigre | link | ||
| Sugar Land Lightning Sloths | link | ||
| link | |||
| Team Texas | link |
The teams were made up of former MLB players as well as other minor league and independent professional players. Each team was scheduled to play 28 games, including seven-inning doubleheaders every weekend.[3] The league's season was planned to begin on July 3, but was pushed back to July 10 due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.[4] Even with the delay, the league began play two weeks before the start of the 2020 MLB season.[5]
All games were played at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas.[6] Parking was included with ticket prices to limit staff and fan interactions and up to 1800 ticket-holders were seated in a socially distanced fashion within the 7500-seat stadium.[7] No games were canceled due to COVID-19 cases, and the league operated for five weeks without any positive COVID-19 test results.[8] Players received $1600 per month, with exposure to MLB teams being the main reason for playing; at least five players in the league were subsequently added to MLB rosters.[9]
The Sugar Land Skeeters finished with the best record in the four-team league.[10] [11] A most-valuable player (MVP) was named for each team.[12]
| Team | Record | MVP (statistics) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Land Skeeters | 17–11 | Dustin Peterson (.309/.400/.500 slash line) | ||
| Eastern Reyes Del Tigre | 14–14 | Ford Proctor (.346/.500/.679 slash line) | ||
| Sugar Land Lightning Sloths | 14–14 | Jamie Westbrook (18 RBIs, 5 home runs) | ||
| Team Texas | 11–17 | Kody Clemens (.416 slugging percentage) |
An all-star team was also named:[13]
| Pos. | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| C | Sugar Land Skeeters | |
| 1B | Eastern Reyes Del Tigre | |
| 2B | Sugar Land Skeeters | |
| SS | Eastern Reyes Del Tigre | |
| 3B | Sugar Land Skeeters | |
| OF | Sugar Land Skeeters | |
| Eastern Reyes Del Tigre | ||
| Sugar Land Lightning Sloths | ||
| DH | Eastern Reyes Del Tigre | |
| UTIL | Team Texas | |
| Team Texas |
| Pos. | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| SP | Sugar Land Skeeters | |
| Eastern Reyes Del Tigre | ||
| Sugar Land Lightning Sloths | ||
| RP | Team Texas | |
| Sugar Land Lightning Sloths | ||
| Sugar Land Skeeters |