List of Louisville Bats seasons

The Louisville Bats Minor League Baseball team has played in Louisville, Kentucky, for 42 years since being established in 1982. They began play as members of the American Association (AA) before joining the International League (IL) in 1998. The team has played 6,000 regular-season games and compiled a win-loss record of 2,923–3,077 (.487). The Bats' best regular-season record occurred in 2008 when they finished 88–56 (.611). Conversely, their lowest record was 51–93 (.354) in 2012.

Louisville Slugger Field, home of the Louisville Bats since 2000

The team has won four league titles: three AA championships (1984, 1985, and 1995) and one IL championship (2001).

The Bat's longest period of failure occurred between 2002 and 2024, when the Bats appeared in the postseason five times and had nine winning seasons. In the early years of the franchise, Jim Fregosi led the Bats to three postseason appearances and won two division titles in his four years as the manager. In addition, Fregosi's Bats competed in three American Association championships in a row, winning two (1984 and 1985) and being runner-up once (1983). ^[1]

Seasons

Table key

League	The team's final position in the league standings
Division	The team's final position in the divisional standings
GB	Games behind the team that finished in first place in the division that season
‡	Class champions (1983–present)
†	League champions (1977–present)
*	Division champions (1988–2020)
^	Postseason berth (1977–present)

Season-by-season records

Season	League	Regular-season					Postseason			MLB affiliate	Ref.
		Record	Win %	League	Division	GB	Record	Win %	Result
1982	AA	73–62	.541	2nd (tie)	2nd (tie)	1+1⁄2	—	—	—	St. Louis Cardinals	[2]
1983 *	AA	78–57	.578	1st	1st	—	3–6	.333	Won Eastern Division title Won semifinals vs. Oklahoma City 89ers, 3–2 Lost AA championship vs. Denver Bears, 4–0[3]	St. Louis Cardinals	[4]
1984 ^ †	AA	79–76	.510	4th	—	12+1⁄2	8–3	.727	Won semifinals vs. Indianapolis Indians, 4–2 Won AA championship vs. Denver Zephyrs, 4–1[5]	St. Louis Cardinals	[6]
1985 * †	AA	74–68	.521	3rd	1st	—	4–1	.800	Won Eastern Division title Won AA championship vs. Oklahoma City 89ers, 4–1[7]	St. Louis Cardinals	[8]
1986	AA	64–78	.451	7th	4th	16	—	—	—	St. Louis Cardinals	[9]
1987 ^	AA	78–62	.557	2nd	—	1	2–3	.400	Lost semifinals vs. Indianapolis Indians, 3–2[10]	St. Louis Cardinals	[11]
1988	AA	63–79	.444	8th	4th	26	—	—	—	St. Louis Cardinals	[12]
1989	AA	71–74	.490	5th	4th	15+1⁄2	—	—	—	St. Louis Cardinals	[13]
1990	AA	74–72	.507	4th	3rd	11+1⁄2	—	—	—	St. Louis Cardinals	[14]
1991	AA	51–92	.357	8th	4th	30	—	—	—	St. Louis Cardinals	[15]
1992	AA	73–70	.510	4th	3rd	13+1⁄2	—	—	—	St. Louis Cardinals	[16]
1993	AA	68–76	.472	6th	3rd	13+1⁄2	—	—	—	St. Louis Cardinals	[17]
1994 ^	AA	74–68	.521	4th	—	11+1⁄2	0–3	.000	Lost semifinals vs. Indianapolis Indians, 3–0[18]	St. Louis Cardinals	[19]
1995 ^ †	AA	74–70	.514	4th	—	14	6–2	.750	Won semifinals vs. Indianapolis Indians, 3–0 Won AA championship vs. Buffalo Bisons, 3–2[20]	St. Louis Cardinals	[21]
1996	AA	60–84	.417	7th	4th	24	—	—	—	St. Louis Cardinals	[22]
1997	AA	58–85	.406	8th	4th	28+1⁄2	—	—	—	St. Louis Cardinals	[23]
1998 *	IL	77–67	.535	5th	1st	—	0–3	.000	Won Western Division title Lost semifinals vs. Durham Bulls, 3–0[24]	Milwaukee Brewers	[25]
1999	IL	63–81	.438	11th	3rd	21+1⁄2	—	—	—	Milwaukee Brewers	[26]
2000	IL	71–73	.493	9th	3rd	10	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[27]
2001 * †	IL	84–60	.583	3rd	1st	—	4–2	.667	Won Western Division title Won semifinals vs. Norfolk Tides, 3–2 Won IL championship vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, 1–0[a][28]	Cincinnati Reds	[29]
2002	IL	79–65	.549	6th	2nd	2	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[30]
2003 *	IL	79–64	.552	2nd	1st	—	1–3	.250	Won Western Division title Lost semifinals vs. Durham Bulls, 3–1[31]	Cincinnati Reds	[32]
2004	IL	67–77	.465	10th	2nd	13	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[33]
2005	IL	66–78	.458	11th	4th	23	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[34]
2006	IL	75–68	.524	6th	3rd	1+1⁄2	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[35]
2007	IL	74–70	.514	7th	2nd	8+1⁄2	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[36]
2008 *	IL	88–56	.611	1st (tie)	1st	—	1–3	.250	Won Western Division title Lost semifinals vs. Durham Bulls, 3–1[37]	Cincinnati Reds	[38]
2009 *	IL	84–58	.592	1st	1st	—	2–3	.400	Won Western Division title Lost semifinals vs. Durham Bulls, 3–2[39]	Cincinnati Reds	[40]
2010 *	IL	79–64	.552	3rd	1st	—	2–3	.400	Won Western Division title Lost semifinals vs. Durham Bulls, 3–2[41]	Cincinnati Reds	[42]
2011	IL	73–71	.507	8th	3rd	15	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[43]
2012	IL	51–93	.354	14th	4th	38	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[44]
2013	IL	69–75	.479	9th	3rd	11	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[45]
2014	IL	68–75	.476	9th	4th	10+1⁄2	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[46]
2015	IL	64–80	.444	11th	3rd	19	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[47]
2016	IL	71–73	.493	6th	2nd	11	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[48]
2017	IL	56–86	.394	13th	4th	23	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[49]
2018	IL	61–76	.445	13th	4th	11	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[50]
2019	IL	59–81	.421	13th (tie)	4th	22	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[51]
2020	IL	Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)[52]								Cincinnati Reds	[53]
2021	AAAE	51–68	.429	15th	6th	17+1⁄2	4–5	.444	Won series vs. Toledo Mud Hens, 3–2 Lost series vs. Columbus Clippers, 3–1 Placed 18th (tie) in the Triple-A Final Stretch[54]	Cincinnati Reds	[55]
2022	IL	60–90	.400	19th	10th	31+1⁄2	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[56]
2023	IL	75–73	.507	9th	4th	9	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[57]
2024	IL	67–82	.450	20th	10th	22+1⁄2	—	—	—	Cincinnati Reds	[58]
Totals	—	2,923–3,077	.487	—	—	—	37–40	.481	—	—	—

Notes

1. The 2001 playoffs were cancelled in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Louisville, which had won the first game of the series, 2–1, before its cancellation, was declared the winner.