League Rules
2026 Merlin League1. Basic Pitch: We start in 2026 and go backwards. We will stop when the newest team selected begins (so if someone takes Tampa or Arizona, we will repurpose after the 1998 season.)
Some teams will be excluded: Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, and New York Yankees. I want to make you all think a little bit, and make your team choices a little less obvious.
1 or 2 teams per person, depending on enrollment. If you have 2 teams, you may not trade players between your teams. This is a boot-able offense.
When you join the league, type “I’m in!” in the chat box. I will list our members in order of membership ratification on the league homepage. If we get 1 team each, people will choose their team in that order. If we take 2 teams each, you will pick your draft slot in that order. I want to use the time stamp, and I want everyone to be able to see who picked what, when.
When the league is full, we will pick teams. When the person before you makes his selection, you will have up to 24 hours to make a pick. We hope you will pick a lot sooner, but know that after 24 hours, I will allow the next person on the list to make their selection: you can still select from the available teams after that.
Will any teams be excluded from consideration? Yes: Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, and New York Yankees.
1a. What’s new?
Any team is available, not just original teams, and we will stop and repurpose when we get to the first team’s initial year.
Higher injury limits than before with a Merlin League. More realistic, more players play.
(I’m hoping) new people we have not played with before.
Unpredictable progression ALWAYS makes the league a little different.
Starting in 2026: where players start, and in some cases, where their career ends, will be different.
Waivers on cuts, new to a single roster Merlin League.
2. How are players acquired?
First season USED? 2026
Minimum AB/IP? 75/25 in Season1. 100/30 thereafter.
Duplicate players are allowed in the initial imports, but not in subsequent import classes. Beginning with the 2025 imports, when a player played for multiple teams during his first year of eligibility, a player should belong to the team where he had the most AB or IP. If you didn’t get someone you thought you should have had, let me know.
ANY ISSUE ABOUT WHICH TEAM A PLAYER BELONGS ON MUST BE RAISED PRIOR TO THE FIRST GAME, OR THE RIGHT TO APPEAL IS WAIVED. Once a player “suits up” for a game, he belongs to that team. When I import players, I go team by team. Whatever order I use, possibly a player ends up on the wrong team. Compare against Baseball Reference.
3. Updating personnel:
Progressions: type: Unpredictable. Plateau range? 30 - 32: 33 begins regression.
Imports and Minimums? 30 IP, 100 AB
Stat changing? Yes, unlimited, as long as the player meets the minimums for ABs and IPs.
Trades? Yes, as many as you want, but no trades, or waivers, after game 140 and before the end of the World Series.
“Anyone can question the fairness of a trade, and forward a review request to the trade review committee. I will select the members of this committee, and majority rules. If for some reason there is a tie (as with an abstention), the Commissioner will break the tie. The Commissioner will oversee the performance of this committee. Requests to have trades reviewed must be made within 1 week or 20 games from the trade, whichever comes first.”
Free agents/waivers? Yes, after games start, and after rosters are in compliance.
4. League set up, number of games, rotation size, injury length, and roster size:
162 games, 4 man rotations in 2026, and 5-man rotations after. 10/20 injuries (H/P), and 26/40 rosters.
5. Playoffs: TBD
A wild card team never hosts a series against a non-wild card team.
Rules about ties for a playoff spot:
If teams tie for a playoff spot:
⇒ If both teams would be “in”, use head to head record as a tiebreaker. Run differential is the 2nd tie-breaker.
⇒ If one is in, the other is out, 1 game playoff (@ head 2 head winner)
In addition to a Cy Young and a MVP Award, there will also be a Manager of the Year Award given to the owner with the best combined record. In the event that some owners own more teams than some other owners, it will be the best combined winning percentage.
George Herman Rule: If a player both pitched and played in the field, he will be treated by the following norms:
He will count as two players on your roster.
He will have to be a DH only, he cannot play a fielding position.
Whatever year’s stats he has, he will have that year’ stats as a pitcher and as a hitter.
He can pitch and hit in the same game, and can stay in as a hitter after he leaves the game as a pitcher.
MY BASIC EXPECTATIONS OF EACH OWNER:
⇒ Your commitment is season to season. When you join, you will be expected to actively run your team until the end of the season, which is when the regular season ends for non-playoff teams, or when your playoff team is eliminated. If you quit mid-season without my blessing, I will share this information with other commissioners.
⇒ Actively running your team means that you read messages once per day, meet all deadlines, and communicate any difficulties to the commissioner.
⇒ I will provide a minimum of 48 hours between a posting of a deadline, and the deadline. Ignorance of the deadline will not be an excuse for failing to meet the deadline.
⇒ If you will be away, and unable to get your messages, give the commissioner advance notice. Inactivity for ten (10) days, or repeated failure to meet deadlines, may result in your being booted from the league.
⇒ Every owner is expected to field a team (9 pitchers and 11 fielders) every game. Failure to do so, making the sims not run, results in a forfeit.
⇒ Read and be familiar with the rules immediately upon joining: it may affect your desire to be in the league, or your desire to pick a certain team.
Please keep all conversations clean
Please don't be rude to fellow owners
Please be active, if not active for 14 days you may be removed from the league
We all love baseball and that's why we're here. So Just have fun and enjoy!
General rules:
Each offseason, you can switch a SP to RP, or a RP to a SP, but stamina will remain “as is.”. You can change it back the next offseason if you like, but no changes between first pitch and the last out of the World Series.
You can switch a player’s primary and secondary positions if they played 50% or more games THAT season at their secondary position, or at least 25% of their games for their career at their secondary position.
During an offseason, a player can be switched to the position they played most in their career, regardless of the requirements of General Rule #2.
You can switch a DH to his secondary position, as long as he has a fielding percentage.
You can ask the Commissioner to stat change a player you acquire by trade or waiver claim mid-season, if you make such a request immediately after you acquire the player.
Off season duties:
After season 1, switch to 5-man rotation.
Empty the free agent pool.
Unpredictable progression after world series. Plateau range: 30 - 32; 33 begins regression
Imports: You get all the imports from the next season that are not already in the league (30 IP/100 AB minimum)
Stat changes: unlimited with minimums for importing. 30 IP, 100 AB
Cuts to the roster limit. 26/40
Turn drops and trades on
Opening Day
Elastic Clause: I reserve the right to create new rules as necessary to deal with problems as they arise.
Owners will be given a day’s grace (24 hours from first pitch) to fix their rosters; after 24 hours, and after game 2, any team that is over roster limits will be trimmed by me. I can trim them by any process I choose, but I cannot leave you with fewer than 9 pitchers, or 11 position players when I am finished (i.e. I cannot cause a forfeit.)
Some leagues use fictional player progression. To learn more about how players progress, check the Player Potential page.
League Settings
| Year Range of Stats | 2025 - 2025 |
| Roster Size (Majors) | 26 |
| Roster Size (Minors) | 14 |
| Keepers | |
| Change Stats Allowed | |
| Free Agency | |
| Drops | |
| No-Drop List | |
| Player Fatigue | |
| Batter Injuries | (10 games max) |
| Pitcher Injuries | (20 games max) |
| Use Pitcher's HR Allowed Stats | |
| Allows Max Surprise Bunts | |
| Min Batters Pitcher Must Face | 1 |
| Slump Buster | (15 days) |
| On Fire | Uses WAR |
| User Sims | (every 3 hours) |
