Copyright Athlon Sports
Banana Ball’s theatrical brand of baseball is taking another leap. With the league growing to six teams, Jesse Cole announced a two-night Banana Ball Player Draft that injects the same fan-first spirit the sport has built its reputation on. The draft opens November 13 at 7 p.m. ET for rounds 1–5 (streamed on the Banana Ball YouTube channel) and finishes with rounds 6–11 on November 14 (announced on social). How the fan franchise and coach protections work Instead of a purely front-office expansion draft, fans will decide which three players remain untouchable on each current roster (Savannah Bananas, Party Animals, Firefighters and Texas Tailgaters). That fan window opens Oct. 29 and closes Oct. 31, with results revealed Nov. 3. Coaches will then franchise up to eight additional players from their 2025 squads — meaning 11 players per incumbent club are protected before the draft begins. The unprotected players — plus invited college, pro and Visitors (development league) talent — will make up the draft pool. What the expansion teams get and why it matters The two new franchises — the Indianapolis Clowns and the Loco Beach Coconuts — will draft from scratch and thus receive two selections per team each round, while the four incumbent teams pick once per round. Rosters finish at 22 players, and the Clowns hold the first overall pick followed by the Coconuts. That extra pick cadence should let expansion teams prioritize both playmakers and the kind of “entertainment players” that define Banana Ball’s identity; the league will cast and announce those entertainment additions after the draft. Why this format is smart for growth Blending fan voting with coach protections keeps core identities intact while letting the league refresh rosters and attract outside talent — college stars, minor-league veterans and viral entertainers — into a format designed to create headlines and social moments. Fans get ownership moments (literally casting who stays), expansion teams get building blocks, and the league preserves its pageantry by adding entertainment players post-draft. Early reporting and the league’s own social posts make the timeline and rules clear for readers who want to follow along.
