On November 23, 2022, the Intercounty Baseball League announced that it had approved an expansion application for Chatham Ontario for admittance into the league starting with the 2024 IBL season. The team's name was initially unveiled as the "Chatham-Kent Blackbirds" on January 27, 2023, but was dropped only three days later after team officials learned the term held
historical derogatory use. The team later stated that they would change the name to “better reflect the diverse cultural history of the community.” On July 6, 2023, the new team name was officially unveiled as the "Chatham-Kent Barnstormers" (a reference to
Barnstorming). After operating for two years and an semi-pro club, the team transitioned to fully professional in 2026 after the IBL rebranded to the
Canadian Baseball League, == Season-by-season results ==