The Appalachian League announced its schedule for the 2026 season. The league's eight team, 48-game regular season schedule will begin with Opening Day on Thursday, June 4, and end Thursday, July 30, with four teams qualifying for the postseason.

The Bluefield Ridge Runners beat the Kingsport Axmen, 11-3, in the 2025 Appalachian League Championship Game. The Ridge Runners never looked back after taking the lead with a six-run third inning and drew 13 walks to fuel their offense.

Twenty-eight former Appalachian League players were selected in the 2025 MLB Draft, which took place July 13-14 in Atlanta. The Boston Red Sox selected Marcus Phillips (ELZ '24) with the No. 33 overall pick, the highest picked Appy player this year. The River Riders led all Appy teams with seven selections in the 20-round draft.

The 2025 HOF class features two-time World Series Champion Yadier Molina and 2011 Appy League Manager of the Year Dennis Holmberg. Molina began his professional baseball career with the Johnson City Cardinals in 2001, while Holmberg served as the manager of the Bluefield Blue Jays for eight seasons from 2011-18.

Coming on in relief for the Tampa Bay Rays on June 21, 2025, right-hander Paul Gervase joined Jordan Leasure as the second Appy League alum to debut in the Majors. Gervase played for the Bristol State Liners in 2022 and was drafted by the Mets that year in the 12th round, joining the Rays organization in a deadline deal in 2024.