The China Baseball League (, CBL) is a semi-professional baseball league under the administration of Chinese Baseball Association, founded in 2002. The league has suspended operations and returned multiple times in its history. During 2019 to 2023, the league was trying to turn into pure professional league, which was named as China National Baseball League. However it turned out failed and the league returned as semi-pro league China Baseball League again. , the league co-exists with the new league Chinese Professional Baseball (CPB) as the main professional league in the nation.
Clubs TeamLocationStadiumBeijing Tigers ()BeijingLucheng FieldGuangdong Leopards ()Guangzhou, GuangdongZhongshan Stadium, Huangcun Baseball Stadium, Tianhe Baseball Field (zh)Jiangsu Huge Horses ()Wuxi, JiangsuWuxi Baseball StadiumShanghai Golden Eagles ()ShanghaiShanghai Sports Palace, Kangbei Baseball and Softball StadiumSichuan Dragons ()Chengdu, SichuanJinniu StadiumTianjin Lions ()TianjinShandong Blue Whales ()ShandongHenan Wolf Warriors ()Zhengzhou, Henan
The original four teams were the Beijing Tigers, Tianjin Lions, Shanghai Eagles and Guangzhou Lightning. The Hope Stars and Dragons joined them in 2005. The Hope Stars were an under-21 team of promising players from around the country. Henan Elephants entered CBL as an expansion team in 2009.
History The first season ran from April 26 to May 25, 2002 with a one-game championship.
In the 2004 season, the defending champion Beijing Tigers once again defeated the Tianjin Lions in the best-of-five finals. They came back from an 0-2 deficit to win the series 3 games to 2.
The opening day of the 2005 season was April 1, 2005. The regular season ended on June 26. In the 2005 best-of-five championship series, the Beijing Tigers swept the Tianjin Lions, three games to none, giving the Tigers their third straight title. (The 2005 championship series was abbreviated to three games due to SARS.)
The league suspended operations in 2012 due to financial troubles after the 2011 season, but returned in 2014.
In 2014 the CBL returned with a six-game regular season with four teams - the Tigers and Pegasus in the North Division and the Leopards and Lions in the South Division. In the finals the Tigers defeated the Lions in the best-of-three finals two games to one. hotStar United began sponsoring the CBL in 2014.
The 2015 regular season featured six teams from Division 1 playing 15 games each. Division 2 teams played six games each. The Jiangsu Pegasus swept the Beijing Tigers two games to none to win their first-ever championship.
The 2016 China Baseball League opened on May 5 at the baseball base in Wuxi, Jiangsu. The new season of the China Baseball League has a longer schedule than previous years, with more games, and the number of participating teams has increased from a minimum of 27 to 6. The 10 top domestic teams consisting of Beijing Tigers, Tianjin Lions, Shanghai Golden Eagles, Jiangsu Juma, Sichuan Jiaolong, Guangdong Cheetahs and Group B teams will play nearly 10 fierce battles in the league.
The 2016 China Baseball League was divided into two stages: the regular season and the finals. The regular season will run for ten weeks, with 30 rounds and the finals lasting two weeks, using a best-of-five format, with the team that wins three games first to win the championship. Every weekend, from May 5 to September 3, the baseball league will feature nine pinnacle showdowns in three different cities. The six Group A teams will play a two-game home and away round-robin match. The four Group B teams will also strive to finish sixth in Group A and secure promotion places next year.
In 2024, the Fujian Sharks joined as an expansion team.
The 2025 season opened on March 21, 2025 in Zhongshan, Guangdong with a planned schedule of 139 games, concluding with a June championship series held in Tianjin.
+Finals scoresSeasonChampionsScoresRunners-up2002Tianjin Lions1–0Beijing Tigers2003Beijing Tigers3–2Tianjin Lions2004Beijing Tigers3–2Tianjin Lions2005Beijing Tigers2–0Tianjin Lions2006Tianjin Lions3–0Guangdong cheetah2007Tianjin Lions3–1Guangdong cheetah2008Tianjin Lions3–0Beijing Tigers2009Beijing Tigers1–0Guangdong cheetah2010Guangdong cheetah2–0Beijing Tigers2011Tianjin Lions2–1Guangdong cheetah2012Discontinued for financial reasons20132014Beijing Tigers2–1Tianjin Lions2015Jiangsu Tianma2–0Beijing Tigers2016Tianjin Lions3–0Beijing Tigers2024Jiangsu Huge Horses2–0Beijing Tigers2025Shanghai Huaxin2–1Jiangsu Huge Horses
Chinese Baseball League winners +Champions leaderboardTeamNumber of championsNumber of runners-upChampion yearRunner-up yearTianjin Lions642002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 20162003, 2004, 2005, 2014Beijing Tigers552003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 20142002, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2016Guangdong cheetah1420102006, 2007, 2009, 2011Jiangsu Juma102015-
Partnership with Nippon Professional Baseball In 2007, the CBL began a support relationship with Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan's baseball league. The agreement allows the Japanese clubs to send coaches and players to China and Chinese players to train at the Japanese facilities.
All teams will have a Japanese team as a partner. Beijing will pair with the Yomiuri Giants, Sichuan with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Shanghai with the Hanshin Tigers, Jiangsu with the Chiba Lotte Marines and Guangdong with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Tianjin will continue its existing relationship with the Yokohama BayStars which began in 2005.
See also Baseball awards China Stars Chinese Baseball Association MLB China Series
References
External links Official Weibo hotStar United Official Website National baseball league newcomers Shanghai Diaries: In Search of Baseball's Yao Ming (November 30, 2004) First season 2002 2004 championship China's Slow Emergence into Baseball, Part I (February 28, 2008) Fastball to Nowhere (December 19, 2008) China Baseball League roster mod for Baseball Mogul