Editing Southern League (1964–present) (section)

==Champions==
{{main|List of Southern League champions}}

League champions have been determined by different means since the Southern League's formation in 1964.<ref name=champions>{{Cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/southern/history/past-champions|title=Southern League Past Champions|work=Southern League|publisher=Minor League Baseball|access-date=June 7, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102151939/https://www.milb.com/southern/history/past-champions}}</ref> Through 1970, champions were the regular-season [[pennant (sports)|pennant]] winners—the team with the best [[win–loss record]] at the conclusion of the regular season. The 1971 title was decided in a postseason series between the two teams with the best records. From 1972 to 1975, the winners of each of two divisions competed in a series to determine champions. The league operated using a [[split season]] format from 1976 to 2020. Under this format, the winners of each half within each division played for the division championship, and the division winners met to play for the SL title.{{sfn|Southern League Media Guide|2019|pages=132–140}} The 2021 winner was crowned via a series between the two teams with the best full-season records.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kelsie |last=Heneghan |url=https://www.milb.com/milb/news/playoffs-return-to-minor-league-baseball |title=Playoffs Return to the Minor Leagues |website=Minor League Baseball |date=July 1, 2021 |accessdate=July 2, 2021}}</ref> The 2022 championship will be decided through the same split-season divisional format used for most of the league's existence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/events/playoffs/procedures|title=MiLB Playoff Procedures|website=Minor League Baseball|access-date=June 8, 2022}}</ref>

The [[Birmingham Barons]] have won 8 Southern League championships, the most among all teams in the league, followed by the [[Jacksonville Suns]] (6) and the [[Montgomery Rebels]] (5).<ref name=champions/>