This change was not undertaken lightly. The Board wished to ensure fairness and competitiveness in the division, and considered the opportunities that older players have to play baseball at the high school level.

We also took into consideration the new USABat standard and the effect that it would have on players moving up from Majors. Without this change, our oldest division would be a Seniors division (accepting players up to 16 years old) and the BBCOR bat standard would apply to this division. This would have meant that players coming up from Majors would go from swinging a 2-1/4" diameter lightweight bat (drop -10 or -11 or even lighter), to swinging a 2-5/8" drop -3 BBCOR bat. The MLL Board felt that this transition, especially when coupled with the move to the big diamond, would be difficult, and could discourage many players from continuing to play the game. By restructuring into a true Juniors division, these players can use USABat-standard bats, which will be made in lighter swing weights.