The Australian Baseball League will launch with six teams, one from each major city in the country.
“Major League Baseball is very excited about the opportunity to join the Australian Baseball Federation in bringing professional baseball back to Australia," MLB’s Paul Archey said in a statement.
“With the level of talent originating Down Under, it is only natural that a national baseball league returns, both for the players and for the fans.”
Baseball has been played in Australia since 1857 - the country even won a silver Olympic medal in Athens in 2004 and has produced dozens of players who have ended up in the MLB - but it is still miles behind favourite summer sport cricket in terms of popularity.
