From the Annex Gleaner: Free Seats, Scoresheets and Athletes

A new season of Maple Leafs baseball launches at Christie Pits

Pitcher Wilgenis Alvarado stares down a Hamilton base runner as thousands of fans take in the action at Christie Pits on May 17.

The world is going to hell, but we still have Maple Leafs baseball.

As the cost of living skyrockets, baseball at Christie Pits remains free for everyone.  This is one of the last unspoiled pleasures of our times.

The 2026 season has gotten under way and the Leafs have upped their game.  They are part of the newly-christened Canadian Baseball League, a professional circuit with clubs in nine Ontario cities.

Thousands flocked to the Pits for the Leafs' season opener.  Many more are expected in the months ahead.

Every ballgame is someone's first ballgame.  Taking inspiration from the Gleaner's annual "Grading Our Greenspaces" park reviews, here follows a kind of gazetteer for newcomers who may find Toronto's sunken ballpark a curious place.  Which corner of Dominico Field is best for you?  Let the degree of your fanhood be your guide.

Street Level.  Recommended for: the unadventurous.

At the park but barely in the park.  Well away from the action, but with a view that takes in everything.  Players' parents will often sit on the lip of the Pits, content to watch without being involved.  This is also a favourite roost for less-mobile fans who don't want to have to climb back up from field level.

The Hillsides.  Recommended for: the good-timers.

These are the all-embracing slopes that surround most of the diamond.  Find a spot, throw down a blanket and set your cares aside for a few hours.  Families, friend groups and spontaneous communities sprawl across the hillsides.  Kids romp, dogs frolic.  It's a summertime idyll.

The Bush.  Recommended for: the party animals.

This dense cluster of trees and scrub sits on the east slope of the park.  It is home to the Leafs' famous fan group, The Bushmen.  Founded by three hardcore fans over a decade ago, the group has swollen in numbers and is famous for relentlessly cheering the home side and heckling opposing players.  Always funny, never vulgar.

The Seats.  Recommended for: the diehards.

Three modest tiers of bench seating wrap around the infield.  Here you will find the regulars, those fans who know all the players and know their stats, their slumps and their triumphs.  Fan-player intimacy is at its peak here.  You are closest to the action and hear every interaction on the diamond.

The Members' Zone.  Recommended for: the status seekers.

Behind the third base fence is the only paid seating in the park.  Members get reserved seats, food and drink, and other VIP perks.  The pizza is great.  Single game passes are also available.  It's an exclusive bubble for people who prefer not to rub elbows with the hoi polloi.

The Fences.  Recommended for: the associates.

Two long fences stretch from the infield to the outfield corners.  Onlookers drape their arms over these fences, happy to stand and watch the entire game.  This is where you will often find teams' front office staff, clusters of photographers, or ex-teammates who stop by to visit and chat.

The Outfield and Beyond.  Recommended for: the distant observers.

Furthest from home plate, but still a great view of the entire diamond.  A nice vantage point to watch plays unfold with no obstructions.  Fans set up blankets, folding chairs, even tents from which to sit and watch.  Also conveniently close to the snack bar and restrooms.

On the diamond, there has been a huge turnover.

Fans arriving at Christie Pits will want to grab one of the free program sheets that are handed out by club staff.

As of this writing, the Leafs have signed 17 new players for the 2026 season.  That’s well over half of the 28-player roster.

Among the players who have departed are long-time veterans Greg Carrington, Jordan Castaldo, Marek Deska, Ryan Dos Santos, Connor Lewis, and all three Marra brothers, Adam, Dan and Justin.

Some returning favourites include pitchers Wilgenis Alvarado and Luis Florentino, and outfielders Marcus Knecht and Dennis Dei Baning.

Returning for his fourth season at the helm is field manager Rob Butler, joined by assistant coaches Rich Butler and Brian Sewell.

The Leafs go from being one of the league's oldest teams to one of the youngest.  The newcomers bring plenty of youth and energy.  This summer, fans can start getting attached to the next generation of Maple Leaf stars

As well as Yasiel Puig.

Yes, that Yasiel Puig.  In late April, social media erupted over a Toronto Star report that the Leafs had signed the ex-MLB All-Star to the Canadian Baseball League's largest-ever contract.  The report turned out to be true.

In the Leafs’ season opener, Puig made his Toronto debut in style.  Before an estimated crowd of 4,000, he hit a pair of home runs to lead his new club to an 8-6 victory over the Kitchener Panthers.

If Puig sticks around for the entire season, he will continue to be a huge draw.  Even if he doesn’t, there is still plenty of baseball to be had as the Leafs pursue their first league championship since 2007. 

The regular season continues to the end of August.

More information about the Leafs and their schedule can be found at mapleleafsbaseball.com.

[This story was originally published in the June 2026 edition of the Annex Gleaner.]