Decision in Cangrejeros Means Baseball’s Antitrust Exemption Nears Possible Supreme Court Review, Again

By Christopher R. Deubert, Senior Writer In a July 21, 2025 decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed a lower court’s ruling that baseball’s exemption from antitrust laws – which dates to 1922 – extends to the Liga de Béisbol Professional Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico’s top professional baseball league.  Nevertheless, in so doing, the court acknowledged the Supreme Court’s description of the exemption as “unrealistic,” “inconsistent,�