‘We’re going to play hard’: London Majors set to open first season in Canadian Baseball League

1. U.S Open golf qualifier in St. Thomas 2. London Majors prepare for CBL season opener 3. Kitchener Rangers win OHL Championship

In their 102nd year, the London Majors are about to enter their first season of professional baseball.

The former Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) has been revamped as the Canadian Baseball League (CBL) for 2026.

“The way I’m looking at is, it’s like having a coin that is a little tarnished and we’re going to polish up that coin,” said Roop Chanderdat, Majors’ manager. “Whether it’s game day on the field or social media, we’re going to try to take everything up one notch and make it professional. The majors are going to put their best foot forward to make it a good fan experience.”

The Majors will start their season Friday night at Labatt Park against the Barrie Baycats.

“Our team looks really good in camp here,” said outfielder Tucker Zdunich. “We’ve got a bunch of talent, and we’re working really hard, so it’s been a really fun camp. I’m excited to see how we look this year.”

The Majors went 1-2 in the exhibition season, which included a pair of losses during their school day games, and a 6-0 win Tuesday in Chatham against the Barnstormers.

“We’ve got a bunch of energy, a lot of big players,” added Zdunich. “We’ve got a lot of good athletes out here and a lot of power in our lineup and speed, so it’ll just be really good baseball to watch.”

One of those new additions is Jarrett Burney from Atlanta, GA.

“It’s my first year in the CBL, so I’m excited,” said Burney, who will play infield for the Majors. “We’re going to mesh together, and we all hit the ball hard, so I think everything will come together. This is my first year in professional baseball, and I’m looking to build my career.”

Burney heard about the CBL from Zdunich, his former college teammate at Reinhardt University.

He’s impressed with what he has seen so far.

“It’s [Labatt Memorial Park] the world’s oldest baseball ground, so it’s awesome to be out here,” added Burney. “It’s the oldest stadium in the world, a nice ballpark and I love the dirt as well.”

Owners are telling CTV News that the switch to professional baseball is raising their expenses and salaries. Some are going to double from 2025 so teams will have to find a way to increase revenue.

On the field, the Majors expect to play the same brand of baseball which fans are accustomed to.

“We’re going to play hard,” said Chanderdat. “The guys are going to compete. They’re not going to cheat the fans. They are going to hustle all the time. We want to put balls in play and make a lot of contact, get on base, cut down on the strikeouts and our pitching and our defense has always been the key to our game. So that’s what you’re going to see from us. You know just good fundamental baseball.”

The Majors are also bringing back a familiar face, powerful hitter and team ambassador.

Cleveland Brownlee, 41, signed with the club this week and will play his 16th year in pinstripes.