With the title, the Jumbo Shrimp have secured home-field advantage for the best-of-three International League Championship Series (ILCS), set to begin Tuesday, Sept. 23 at VyStar Ballpark. – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are headed to the postseason for the first time since 2017, having clinched the International League First Half Championship on Saturday following a 4-2 victory over the Syracuse Mets and a 9-5 loss by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to the Rochester Red Wings, according to a release.
With the title, the Jumbo Shrimp have secured home-field advantage for the best-of-three International League Championship Series (ILCS), set to begin Tuesday, Sept. 23 at VyStar Ballpark.
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Jacksonville will host the winner of the league’s second half, with Game 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 24 and, if necessary, Game 3 on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Game times and ticket information will be announced at a later date.
This marks Jacksonville’s 24th postseason appearance since the city joined affiliated professional baseball’s Triple-A/Double-A ranks in 1962.
The 2025 Triple-A season is split into two halves, with Jacksonville owning a one-game lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over Lehigh Valley as of Saturday, securing the title with one game remaining in the first half, which concludes June 22. The regular season wraps up Sunday, Sept. 21, followed by an off day before the ILCS begins.
Should the Jumbo Shrimp win the ILCS, they will advance to the Triple-A National Championship Game against the Pacific Coast League’s second-half or overall winner. The one-game title contest is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27 at Las Vegas Ballpark. The Las Vegas Aviators (Triple-A, Athletics) have already clinched the PCL’s first-half crown.
Jacksonville stormed back into playoff contention with a 12-4 stretch since June 3, erasing an eight-game deficit in just 16 contests to overtake Lehigh Valley. After falling out of first place on May 1, the Jumbo Shrimp regained a share of the lead on Friday night before clinching the first-half title on Saturday.
The club has posted a 21-6 record in one-run games, tied for the most such wins in Minor League Baseball. Jacksonville leads Triple-A with 163 stolen bases and has excelled on the mound, leading the league in fewest hits allowed (523) and opponent batting average (.220), while ranking second in WHIP (1.23), third in ERA (3.59), and third in fewest runs allowed (296).
Jacksonville’s last postseason appearance came in 2017 as a Double-A member of the Southern League. The team was swept in the semifinal round by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, who are now also affiliated with the Miami Marlins. The Jumbo Shrimp became the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate in 2021.
The franchise has claimed seven league championships since 1962, including the 1968 International League title and six Southern League crowns (1996, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2014).