Major League Baseball announced Monday that its Spring Breakout prospect showcase will transform into a single-elimination tournament in 2027 and 2028. The event, which began in 2024 as a series of games featuring top minor league talent, will determine both Grapefruit League and Cactus League champions during spring training.

This year's Spring Breakout features 16 games from March 19-22, with rosters including prospects like Pittsburgh's Konnor Griffin, Detroit's Kevin McGonigle, and Max Clark. The tournament format change comes as MLB faces potential labor uncertainty, with the current collective bargaining agreement expiring December 1 and a lockout appearing likely. If regular players are locked out, the tournament could showcase minor leaguers whose contracts also expire at year's end.

The timing is particularly notable given MLB's 2022 lockout that delayed spring training until March 17. The league chose not to implement the tournament format this year because spring training overlaps with the World Baseball Classic running through March 17.