Amateur baseball in the United States

United States baseball

Amateur baseball is baseball in which the players either are not paid for playing, or (as in Town Team Baseball) receive only a modest stipend or employment arranged by the team's boosters. Amateur baseball is played in the United States by players of all ages, from young children to adults.

Leagues for various skill levels and age groups exist throughout the US. In ascending order of age participation, here are a few examples:

From 1998 (or earlier) through 2010 (or later), there has been an annual, national all stars tournament each June — the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars; its predecessor was the National Amateur All Star Baseball Tournament (NAABT). The tournament features the top 16 to 18 year old players from various baseball organizations, including the American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC), American Legion, Babe Ruth Baseball, Dixie Baseball, National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF), PONY baseball, Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), and at large teams from USA Baseball (the governing body of amateur baseball).

School baseball is played throughout the United States. High schools often have freshman, junior varsity, and varsity teams. Some middle schools offer baseball programs. In the 2014 15 season, 486,567 boys and 1,203 girls played baseball at the National Federation of State High School Associations.

American Legion Baseball is popular with junior high and senior high school students from ages 13 to 19. American Legion also provides regional, state, and national playoffs.

College baseball is sanctioned by the NCAA, NAIA, and NCBA. College baseball players, especially professional prospects, often also play in collegiate summer baseball leagues during the off season. In these leagues, their lodging and meals are provided by their host team, but no money changes hands. Many collegiate summer baseball leagues are affiliated to the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball, National Amateur Baseball Federation or the National Baseball Congress. The MLB Draft League debuted in 2021.