> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://theprospecttimes.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Banana Ball Draft: Jesse Cole Responds to Fans - URL: https://theprospecttimes.com/banana-ball-draft-jesse-cole-responds-to-fans/ - Published: 2026-11-08T03:35:05.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-08T03:36:42.000Z - Author: The Prospect Times - Tags: Banana Ball, News Banana Ball fans don't just follow teams. They follow players they've met before games, watched dance in the stands, and kept up with on social media. That's why this year's Player Draft, the league's second, struck a nerve for some fans. Several fan favorites went unpicked, and some questioned whether Banana Ball should hold a draft at all. Jesse Cole, the man behind a sport so many of us have come to love, answered them in a video posted on Banana Ball's social media channels. He said the draft is not where it needs to be, apologized if the past week hurt fans' trust, and floated two ideas to improve it: using the Visitors to give undrafted players a way back, and letting fans vote to keep a player before a future draft. Neither idea is official yet, and no undrafted player has been announced for a return. Cole also said some of the reaction included death threats. Disagreeing with a roster decision is fair. Threatening someone over it is never OK. ## The Roster Math Behind a Smaller Draft Much of the frustration comes back to how many players were kept before draft night. Before the draft, the six coaches franchised 99 players. The Clowns kept 16 and the Coconuts kept 15, and the Tailgaters, Firefighters, Party Animals, and Bananas each used all 17 of their picks. Add one fan franchise pick per team, and 105 players had their spots locked in before the first draft selection. Cole said that was by design. Last year's expansion draft had to stock two brand-new teams, the Indianapolis Clowns and Loco Beach Coconuts. With no new teams this year, coaches franchised more players to keep their cores together. That left fewer open spots, and some established players were neither franchised nor drafted. ## Familiar Names Left Out Fans singled out several players who went undrafted, including Riyan Rodriguez and Brady Kais of the Party Animals and Firefighters pitcher Bradford Webb. Cole said some results surprised him too. He had expected certain longtime players to be picked, but he said the coaches made the selections and the draft was not scripted. Coaches work with these players every day, so their picks reflect team needs fans don't see from the stands. That doesn't make the results easier for fans. Banana Ball players sign autographs before games, dance in the stands, and build followings online. Cole acknowledged that losing one of them from a roster hits fans differently than a typical baseball roster move. Cole did not say where Rodriguez, Kais, Webb, or any other undrafted player will end up. ## Proposals, None Final **The Visitors.** Cole said he, Emily Cole, and Barry reached out to every undrafted player. One option they discussed is having former players join the Visitors, the league's developmental team. Those players could keep training, play during 2027, and be eligible for the next draft. Cole said he'd like the Visitors to play a few games in front of fans, and he also mentioned an alumni game. No schedule or roster has been released for either. **A fan save vote.** Cole said a proposal to let fans save one player after coaches make their franchise picks deserves serious consideration for the next draft. Fans franchised three players per team before the 2026 season and one per team for 2027\. Cole said he doesn't want fans picking entire rosters, because that would favor familiar names and leave little room for newcomers. A single save vote would add fan input on top of the coaches' choices. The league hasn't said how it would work. **An alumni game**. Cole said that they are looking at having an alumni game to honor past players ## Where the New Faces Came From Cole said more than 1,000 players contacted Banana Ball over the past year. Barry and the coaches narrowed the group by talent, character, and commitment to putting fans first. The newcomers drafted were evaluated over several months, not chosen from one tryout. Three former major leaguers made the 2027 class: Shane Greene, Charlie Culberson, and Kelby Tomlinson. Cole said dozens of former MLB players reached out, and signing more of them is not the goal. Each of the three had played Banana Ball before, tried out, or shown the fan-first approach the coaches wanted. Cole pointed to Jackie Bradley Jr., who joined the Clowns and became their 2027 fan franchise pick, as an example of a former big leaguer who fit. The draft also added an entertainment round for performers. Cole said he expects it to continue, though the league still needs to sort out which performers are cast before the draft and which go through it. ## Off-the-Field Roles Cole said not every former player's next step has to be on the roster. He mentioned possible roles in entertainment, fan experience, youth programs, and media. He pointed to Garrett Dloo, who went from Firefighters player to the team's show caller, as an example. These are options, not announced jobs. ## Player Pay, Ticket Prices and Where the Money Goes Cole also addressed questions about money. He said his total compensation is $75,000, and that the company reinvests into Banana Ball. He also said Banana Ball pays its players four times what minor leaguers make in professional baseball, while playing fewer games. On tickets, Cole said some 2027 prices rose after staying flat for three years, but the league tried to balance the changes. Seats behind home plate went up, 50% of the other seats around the stadium went down, and twenty percent fifth stayed the same. That's fans first. Banana Ball will also keep mixing small ballparks, MLB stadiums, and football stadiums on its schedule so more fans get a chance to see a game in person. I think getting that balance right is key to growing the fan base even further. ## Disney's Role Cole said he and Emily Cole own Banana Ball. Disney has no ownership stake and does not make decisions for the league. He called the relationship, which includes broadcasts, events, and a documentary, a partnership. ## What to Watch - The 2027 Visitors roster and whether any undrafted players are on it - Dates for Visitors or alumni games - Whether the fan save vote becomes an official rule, and how it would work - Announcements from individual undrafted players For every player who was kept before the draft, see our full list of [2027 Banana Ball Coach Franchise selections](https://theprospecttimes.com/banana-ball-coach-franchise-selections-all-6-teams/).