The start of April marks the start of baseball, but in 2026, it also marked a huge turning point in Wyoming American Legion history. Under the newly appointed state chairman, Jason Huggins, the “single A” (A) and “double A” (AA) levels have been combined into one class. As well as making a single legion level, the state was divided into two new conferences regardless of team size and skill.
This change has been considered in Wyoming since the early 2000’s as a way to make the AA State Tournament more competitive by allowing A teams to attend. It simply opens the tournament up to A teams rather than limiting it strictly to AA teams.
The reclassification has been very controversial, with many smaller cities upset that they have to compete with larger teams such as Casper and Cheyenne. A major issue here is the community population. Casper has over 50,000 more residents than Powell, making it an obvious fact that there will be more players going out for baseball, and providing better conditions for building a team.
Both legion teams in Casper, the Drillers and the Oilers (A and AA respectively), have a roster of 20+ players as compared to Powell’s 12. On each roster, they have eight pitchers who are used in heavy rotation. This is obviously an advantage, seeing as for certain cities rosters of more than 15 are just out of the question. The new class has been compared to forcing a 1A football team to compete against the 4A unit in Sheridan, and I can see it. While there are competitive A teams, some just don’t have a shot at making the tournament.
To smaller teams, this change seems even less fair when they realize that they had essentially no say in it. Every year, a meeting involving the board and coaches from across the state is held, where they discuss plans for the upcoming season and make any necessary changes. This year, the meeting was hosted by Chairman Huggins via Zoom, where every coach was put on mute for the entirety of the meeting. This was the meeting where the reclassification was decided.
Outside of competition within the state, both A and AA teams will lose chances to play teams from surrounding states. Many teams attend annual tournaments in Colorado, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, or Montana, but because everyone has more required games within their conference, those opportunities are now fewer. Teams are now “stuck” within the state, and they won’t get the same experiences of facing different, and in some cases better, teams.
On the other hand, this new format will create a far more competitive state tournament. Yes, certain teams will have a smaller chance at competing deep into the postseason. However, combining the classes will ensure that the eight best teams in the state make the tournament.
The requirements for tournament berth haven’t changed. Teams will still need to win conference games down the stretch and be better than their competitors, but now teams won’t be limited by their class. An A team could very well go to Gillette this summer and win the State Championship against an AA team. The point where it becomes a question of fairness is taking into account the smallest of teams.
Overall, I wouldn’t say that this is a bad thing. Obviously, many A and AA teams will be removed from the state championship conversation once this reclassification is fully in effect. Many, however, will face appropriate competition in the State Tournament. There won’t be as many 10-run blowouts in the postseason. Scores should, in theory, be closer and thus create more competition, which will also improve the players in attendance.
So, was it the right move? Perhaps some other input could have been considered, but I can see why they took the “ask for forgiveness, not for permission” route when applying this change. Whether or not a person agrees with the reclassification, I suggest they bear down because it is likely here to stay.
