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Finally we arrive at modern day, and two cycles which have upended the NABF in exciting and dramatic ways.

Though this was a period of change, some things stayed the same: the El Paso Sun Kings continued their reign of Division 1. Between 2031 and 2036, the Sun Kings won four Conference titles and two Division Championships, their 2036 squad winning 99 games, more than any other in franchise history. Their offensive core - CF Joe Rison, C Mike Kepler, RF Chris Beardsley - are all in their prime years, and though the solid pitching staff is older they have continued to be effective. Even 30 years in, El Paso was still able to mix veterans and developing players to create yet another winning ballclub.

It was not quite as easy a tale for the Ft. Worth Cats. Relegated to Division 2 for the first time in franchise history to begin Cycle 9, they were able to cut through a weak division, winning the D2 West in 2031 and Division 2 itself in 2033. But their fortunes began to fade in 2034, despite earning promotion on the strength of the first two seasons. Back in D1 for Cycle 10, they struggled mightily, with three straight last place finishes to head back down.

Replacing the Cats in D1 West will be Denver’s Bears - after winning the first franchise championship - or conference title - in 2030, the Bears clawed their way through Division 2. In 2031 they finished in third, but just two games back; the following year they came in second, a single game behind Fort Worth. But in 2033 they eclipsed the Cats to win the D2 West, losing to Toronto in a well-balanced series. They came into Cycle 10 the heavy favorites for promotion, with a deep team led by Chad Martucci, Clemens Young, and others. They won the conference in 2034 and 2035, then finally got over the hump (with the help of free agent signee SP Dylan Anderson) and won the D2 Championship, officially securing promotion to Division 1. What had once been the most disappointing franchise in the NABF will now be on its largest stage.

The Tampa Tarpons will join them there. Tampa has been one of the most successful franchises in the NABF, but with only sporadic success, and never able to move beyond Division 2. But in Cycle 10, they won two Conference titles and the 2035 D2 Championship (beating Denver) to earn promotion. Tampa’s current lineup uses a distinctive speed and contact style that promises to shake up Division 1.

The biggest story of the last decade of NABF ball, though, has been the Kansas City Monarchs. For 20 years, they remained a quiet Division 4 team: one lone conference title in 2011 and several last place finishes, despite stints by some of the greats (most notably slugger Eric Bryant). But in 2026 they started winning, consistently and convincingly. In the first year of Cycle 8, they won their conference, and for the first time their division; they repeated the feat in 2029. That ensured promotion, but a downturn in 2030 suggested their time in D3 might be short. They proved their doubters wrong, winning 90 games, the D3 East, and the D3 Championship in 2031, and though their win totals dropped each of the next two years they were enough to stamp KC’s ticket to Division 2. They held their own there in Cycle 10, gaining each season, and ended 2036 with 86 wins, only a few back from first and ready to see what lies ahead.

In Division 4, the Nashville Sounds went on a run for the ages too, winning three consecutive D4 titles between 2031 and 2033, giving them four over their history. With a D3 East conference title in Cycle 10, they look to build further. The same can be said of the Sacramento Solons, who were promoted from the D4 West as the Sounds left the East; they had lost to Nashville in the Championships in 2032 and 2033, but once in D3 they kept going, winning the D3 Series in both 2034 and 2035 to earn promotion to D2 in Cycle 11.

Amid all this upward movement, two once triumphant franchises began to fade. The Boston Bees were the first to go; only two years after their final championship in 2029, they found themselves in last place, 72-82. It got worse the next season, with their win total dropping to 65. Then, 57 wins in 2033, and a slam-dunk relegation. The very next year, it was Baltimore’s turn. As fewer and fewer faces from the Terrapins’ incredible 2020s runs came back year after year - Padgett traded away in 2029, Mauck gone after 2031, Hinthorne after 2032, and so on - the Terrapins spent Cycle 9 floating between 2nd and 4th place. But the bottom dropped out in 2034, and the team won just 60, 65, and 66 games respectively over the three years of Cycle 10 - last place all three, and relegated for the first time in their history.

As the first ten cycles - 30 years - of NABF history ended in 2036, an amazing confluence of retirements swept through the NABF as some of its best all-time talents hung it up: all-time steals leader Craig Vest, all-time Home Run king Pedro Quiroz, all-time hits and doubles leader Bobby Usry, Baltimore Terrapins great Steve Mauck and Two-Way star Nick Goodwin. We watched some of the greatest teams in its history sink, while new dynasties struggled to be born. Who knows who will rule the next 30? Maybe it will be San Diego RF Jason Turnquist, who won the D2 Rookie of the Year this past season. Or 27 year old 2034 D4 Pitcher of the Year Aaron Cottrell. Maybe it will be the Phoenix Firebirds, who won their first Conference title in 2036 after years of futility. Maybe someone we can't predict, or a team we don't expect. The game will surprise you, sometimes.

Next: Greatest Individual Seasons, 2031-2036