The new contracts track the CME FutureSports Performance Indexes, which aggregate statistical data from all 30 professional baseball teams. Trading begins with the 2026 Postseason, focusing on the four clubs currently competing in the League Championship Series. Tim McCourt, senior managing director at CME Group, described the initiative as an opportunity to apply traditional hedging discipline to the professional sports sector.
In section Releases
CME Group Turns Professional Baseball into a Regulated Asset Class
Professional baseball is entering the derivatives market. Starting October 12, CME Group will launch the world’s first baseball futures, allowing investors to trade contracts linked to official league performance data. The move marks a shift in how sports statistics are treated within the global financial infrastructure.
Participants can choose between standard contracts, valued at 10 times the underlying index, or micro-sized versions set at one-tenth of that value. These products operate around the clock on a regulated exchange, utilizing central clearing to provide transparency and equal market access. The underlying indexes rely on systematic methodologies where specific game actions trigger point adjustments, all governed by the International Organization of Securities Commissions principles for financial benchmarks.
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