I have something of a confession to make here. There is another MLB-affiliated league, the Dominican Summer League. But I am not at all familiar with the Dominican Republic, and trying to track down all the different MLB complexes turned into a nightmare and I was not at all confident I was getting the right pictures. From what I can tell, they all look pretty similar to lower-end spring training complexes in Arizona and Florida without the big showcase stadiums, so just picture that for all of them. So, with that, we are going to move into the MLB "Partner League." These leagues don't have direct affiliations with teams, so players are not called up and down the system off of these teams, but the MLB uses these leagues to test out some different rules and systems that they are considering implementing. The Atlantic League famously used the automated balls and strikes to varying success, though I read on their Wikipedia page that they are not using it for this season. That same Wikipedia page claims the league "is generally regarded as the most successful and highest level of baseball among independent leagues," though I don't really have any way to confirm that myself. The Atlantic League does seem to get the biggest share of former MLB players trying to hold on for their last hurrah, so that probably says something. The league was founded in 1998 and has no original franchises left, with the last couple remaining teams moving into affiliated leagues. The league is currently at ten teams, spanning from North Carolina to New York. They are in two divisions, North and South, and here they are alphabetically by division. Lancaster BarnstormersFrom: Lancaster, PA Founded: 2003 Stadium: Clipper Magazine Stadium Opened: 2005 Capacity: 6,000 Championships: 2 (2006, 2014) Long Island DucksFrom: Central Islip, NY Founded: 1998 Stadium: Fairfield Properties Ballpark Opened: 2000 Capacity: 6,002 Championships: 4 (2004, 2012, 2013, 2019) Southern Maryland Blue CrabsFrom: Waldorf, MD Founded: 2006 Stadium: Regency Furniture Stadium Opened: 2008 Capacity: 4,200 Championships: 0 Staten Island FerryHawksFrom: Staten Island, NY Founded: 2021 Stadium SIUH Community Park Opened: 2001 Capacity: 7,171 Championships: 0 York RevolutionFrom: York, PA Founded: 2006 Stadium: PeoplesBank Park Opened: 2007 Capacity: 7,500 Championships: 3 (2010, 2011, 2017) Charleston Dirty BirdsFrom: Charleston, WV Founded: 1987 (As the Charleston Wheelers) Stadium: Appalachian Power Park Opened: 2005 Capacity: 4,500 Championships: 1 (1990 [South Atlantic League]} Gastonia Honey HuntersFrom: Gastonia, NC Founded: 2021 Stadium: CaroMont Health Park Opened: 2021 Capacity: 5,000 Championships: 0 High Point RockersFrom: High Point, NC Founded: 2018 Stadium: Truist Point Opened: 2019 Capacity: 4,500 Championships: 0 Lexington LegendsFrom: Lexington, KY Founded: 2001 Stadium: Wild Health Field Opened: 2001 Capacity: 6,994 Championships: 4 (2001, 2018, 2019, 2021) Wild Health GenomesFrom: Lexington, KY
Founded: 2022 Stadium: Wild Health Field Opened: 2001 Capacity: 6,994 Championships: 0 Note: Wild Health Genomes are a temporary team until a team in Hagerstown, MD, is ready to begin play. That is expected in 2024. Here is the other half of American rookie ball, the Florida Complex League. This is exactly like the Arizona counterpart that we looked at yesterday, but just based in Florida. The nature of Florida vs. Arizona makes this league a little more spread out, but it is still all contained within Florida. A good handful of these stadiums are also used in the Florida State League, so it's not just you if you get some deja vu. Like in Arizona, all of these teams are the FCL <Parent Club>, with a couple teams having modifiers in the case of MLB teams with multiple affiliates in this league. Teams are split up into three divisions: East, North, and South. I will be listing the teams in alphabetical order by division in that order. FCL AstrosFrom: West Palm Beach, FL Founded: 1965 Affiliate: Houston Astros Stadium: Ballpark of the Palm Beaches Opened: 2017 Capacity: 6,500 Championships: 3 (1965, 1979, 1994) FCL CardinalsFrom: Jupiter, FL Founded: 1966 Affiliate: St. Louis Cardinals Stadium: Roger Dean Stadium Opened: 1998 Capacity: 6,871 Championships: 1 (2016) FCL MarlinsFrom: Jupiter, FL Founded: 1992 Affiliate: Miami Marlins Stadium: Roger Dean Stadium Opened: 1998 Capacity: 6,871 Championships: 0 FCL MetsFrom: Port St. Lucie, FL Founded: 1983 Affiliate: New York Mets Stadium: Clover Park Opened: 1988 Capacity: 7,160 Championships: 2 (1997, 1999) FCL NationalsFrom: West Palm Beach, FL Founded: 1969 Affiliate: Washington Nationals Stadium: Ballpark of the Palm Beaches Opened: 2017 Capacity: 6,500 Championships: 4 (1969, 1991, 2009, 2013) FCL Blue JaysFrom: Dunedin, FL Founded: 1981 Affiliate: Toronto Blue Jays Stadium: Englebert Complex Opened: 1978 Capacity: N/A Championships: 0 FCL PhilliesFrom: Clearwater, FL Founded: 1984 Affiliate: Philadelphia Phillies Stadium: Carpenter Complex Opened: 1966 Capacity: 500 Championships: 3 (2002, 2008, 2010) FCL Tigers EastFrom: Lakeland, FL Founded: 2016 Affiliate: Detroit Tigers Stadium: Joker Marchant Stadium Opened: 1966 Capacity: 8,500 Championships: 0 FCL Tigers WestFrom: Lakeland, FL Founded: 2016 Affiliate: Detroit Tigers Stadium: Joker Marchant Stadium Opened: 1966 Capacity: 8,500 Championships: 1 (2018) FCL YankeesFrom: Tampa, FL Founded: 1964 Affiliate: New York Yankees Stadium: Steinbrenner Field Opened: 1996 Capacity: 11,026 Championships: 12 (1966, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2017) FCL BravesFrom: North Port, FL Founded: 1976 Affiliate: Atlanta Braves Stadium: CoolToday Park Opened: 2019 Capacity: 6,200 Championships: 2 (1964, 2003) FCL Orioles BlackFrom: Sarasota, FL Founded: 2021 Affiliate: Baltimore Orioles Stadium: Ed Smith Stadium Opened: 1989 Capacity: 8,500 Championships: 0 FCL Orioles OrangeFrom: Sarasota, FL Founded: 2021 Affiliate: Baltimore Orioles Stadium: Ed Smith Stadium Opened: 1989 Capacity: 8,500 Championships: 0 GCL Pirates BlackFrom: Bradenton, FL Founded: 2021 Affiliate: Pittsburgh Pirates Stadium: Pirate City Opened: 1969 Capacity: N/A Championships: 2012 (as unified Pirates) FCL Pirates GoldFrom: Bradenton, FL Founded: 2021 Affiliate: Pittsburgh Pirates Stadium: Pirate City Opened: 1969 Capacity: N/A Championships: 2012 (as unified Pirates) FCL RaysFrom: Port Charlotte, FL Founded: 1996 Affiliate: Tampa Bay Rays Stadium: Charlotte Sports Park Opened: 1987 Capacity: 7,670 Championships: 1 (2021) FCL Red SoxFrom: Ft. Myers, FL Founded: 1989 Affiliate: Boston Red Sox Stadium: JetBlue Park Opened: 2012 Capacity: 10,823 Championships: 3 (2006, 2014, 2015) FCL TwinsFrom: Ft. Myers, FL
Founded: 1965 Affiliate: Minnesota Twins Stadium: Hammond Stadium Opened: 1991 Capacity: 9,300 Championships: 0 We're getting down to the bottom rung of real affiliated baseball, rookie ball. We're going to start in Arizona for this round. All of these teams are named for their parent team, sometimes with an added descriptor in the case of teams with multiple affiliates, such as the Giants and Royals (to pick two totally at random). These leagues really exist solely to see who really has the talent to move on. All these teams list spring training facilities as their home stadium, but many times they will use auxiliary fields for their games, and there is no paid admissions or concessions. So, while these leagues definitely matter in the lives and development to the players and coaches in them, they aren't really leagues in the same way that the other leagues I have covered are. I'm going do do this list in the same way I have done the rest, alphabetically by division (East, Central, and West), and list the stadium they have listed as their home. But just know the situation is a lot more fluid here than at other levels. ACL AthleticsFrom: Mesa, AZ Founded: 1988 Affiliate: Oakland A's Stadium: Hohokam Stadium Opened: 1997 Capacity: 10,000 Championships: 7 (1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2001) ACL CubsFrom: Mesa, AZ Founded: 1997 Stadium: Sloan Park Opened: 2014 Capacity: 15,000 Championships: 2 (1997, 2017) ACL DiamondbacksFrom: Scottsdale, AZ Founded: 1996 Affiliate: Arizona Diamondbacks Stadium: Salt River Fields Opened: 2011 Capacity: 11,000 Championships: 0 ACL Giants BlackFrom: Scottsdale, AZ Founded: 2018 Affiliate: San Francisco Giants Stadium: Scottsdale Stadium Opened: 1992 Capacity: 12,000 Championships: 0 ACL Giants OrangeFrom: Scottsdale, AZ Founded: 2018 Affiliate: San Francisco Giants Stadium: Scottsdale Stadium Opened: 1992 Capacity: 12,000 Championships: 0 ACL RockiesFrom: Scottsdale, AZ Founded: 1992 Affiliate: Colorado Rockies Stadium: Salt River Fields Opened: 2011 Capacity: 11,000 Championships: 1 (1998) ACL AngelsFrom: Tempe, AZ Founded: 1989 Affiliate: Los Angeles Angels Stadium: Tempe Diablo Stadium Opened: 1969 Capacity: 9,558 Championships: 0 ACL Brewers BlueFrom: Phoenix, AZ Founded: 2019 Affiliate: Milwaukee Brewers Stadium: American Family Fields Opened: 1998 Capacity: 10,000 Championships: 0 (3 as unified Brewers) ACL DodgersFrom: Phoenix, AZ Founded: 1983 Affiliate: Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium: Camelback Ranch Opened: 2009 Capacity: 10,000 Championships: 5 (1983, 1986, 1987, 1990, 2018) ACL GuardiansFrom: Goodyear, AZ Founded: 1967 Affiliate: Cleveland Guardians Stadium: Goodyear Ballpark Opened: 2009 Capacity: 10,311 Championships: 1 (2014) ACL RedsFrom: Goodyear, AZ Founded: 1968 Affiliate: Cincinnati Reds Stadium: Goodyear Ballpark Opened: 2009 Capacity: 10,311 Championships: 0 ACL White SoxFrom: Phoenix, AZ Founded: 1998 Affiliate: Chicago White Sox Stadium: Camelback Ranch Opened: 2009 Capacity: 10,000 Championships: 0 ACL Brewers GoldFrom: Phoenix, AZ Founded: 2019 Affiliate: Milwaukee Brewers Stadium: American Family Fields Opened: 1998 Capacity: 10,000 Championships: 0 (3 as unified Brewers) ACL MarinersFrom: Peoria, AZ Founded: 1988 Affiliate: Seattle Mariners Stadium: Peoria Sports Complex Opened: 1994 Capacity: ~11,000 Championships: 4 (2000, 2007, 2009, 2016) ACL PadresFrom: Peoria, AZ Founded: 1988 Affiliate: San Diego Padres Stadium: Peoria Sports Complex Opened: 1994 Capacity: ~11,000 Championships: 2 (1996, 2006) ACL RangersFrom: Surprise, AZ Founded: 2003 Affiliate: Texas Rangers Stadium: Surprise Stadium Opened: 2002 Capacity: 10,500 Championships: 2 (2012, 2019) ACL Royals BlueFrom: Surprise, AZ Founded: 2003 Affiliate: Kansas City Royals Stadium: Surprise Stadium Opened: 2002 Capacity: 10,500 Championships: 1 (2003 [as Royals 1]) ACL Royals GoldFrom: Surprise, AZ
Founded: 2003 Affiliate: Kansas City Royals Stadium: Surprise Stadium Opened: 2002 Capacity: 10,500 Championships: 0 Here is our last stop in Single A, the Carlifornia League. Not to be confused with the Califorina Penal League. Like the Carolina League, this had been a High-A league until the 2020 reorganization. There had been several attempts at creating an organized league in Calfornia going back to the late 1800's, but it didn't really come together at this level until this league was established in 1941, which then almost immediately went into hiatus for World War II. So, while the logo claims that date, it really didn't get started in earnest until 1946. This has never been a big league, today having eight teams, which has been the norm over the league's lifespan. They are split between North and South, and here they are alphabetically by division. Fresno GrizzliesFrom: Fresno, CA Founded: 1998 Affiliate: Colorado Rockies Stadium: Chukchansi Park Opened: 2002 Championships: 1 (2015) Modesto NutsFrom: Modesto, CA Founded: 1946 Affiliate: Seattle Mariners Stadium: John Thurman Field Opened: 1955 Capacity: 4,000 Championships: 9 (1950 [C], 1954 [C], 1959 [C], 1966, 1972, 1982, 1984, 2004, 2017) San Jose GiantsFrom: San Jose, CA Founded: 1962 Affiliate: San Francisco Giants Stadium: Excite Ballpark Opened: 1942 Capacity: 4,200 Championships: 10 (1962, 1967, 1979, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2021) Stockton PortsFrom: Stockton, CA Founded: 1941 Affiliate: Oakland A's Stadium: Banner Island Ballpark Opened: 2005 Capacity: 5,200 Championships: 11 (1946, 1947, 1963, 1965, 1969, 1980, 1986, 1990, 1992, 2002, 2008) Inland Empire 66ersFrom: San Bernadino, CA Founded: 1987 Affiliate: Los Angeles Angels Stadium: San Manuel Stadium Opened: 1996 Capacity: 8,000 Championships: 6 (1995, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2013) Lake Elsinore StormFrom: Lake Elsinore, CA Founded: 1994 Affiliate: San Diego Padres Stadium: Lake Elsinore Diamond Opened: 1994 Capacity: 6,066 Championships: 3 (1996, 2001, 2011) Rancho Cucamonga QuakesFrom: Rancho Cucamonga, CA Founded: 1966 Affiliate: Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium: LoanMart Field Opened: 1993 Capacity: 6,588 Championships: 3 (1994, 2015, 2018) Visalia RawhideFrom: Visalia, CA
Founded: 1946 Affiliate: Arizona Diamondbacks Stadium: Valley Strong Ballpark Opened: 1946 Capacity: 1,888 Championships: 3 (1971, 1978, 2019) Next up on our tour of A ball is the Carolina League. This is the Carolina League from Bull Durham, which was A ball at that point, too. In 1990, it became a High-A league, but then got bumped back down in the 2020 reorganization. The High-A version of the Carolina League was the last stop of Taylor Dennis, who is the teammate I had that got the furthest in baseball.* That said, I don't know for sure that we ever actually shared a field as players, at least in a game. He was a freshman when I was a senior, so he was playing JV when I was on varsity. But, we were in the same practices, and he played for my dad in Pony League, so I think it counts. Being from a small town, I knew his dad really well, too. His dad is also a Wabash grad, so there's that, too. None of that is super related to what we're talking about today, but just an example of those weird connections that happen in life. *My dad definitely has me and my brother beat, playing with a guy that got to AAA and pitched either a perfect game or no-hitter in Indy. I don't remember which. The Carolina League was founded in 1945, which you'll probably recognize as the end of World War II. The current lineup has twelve teams, eight of which are actually from the Carolinas. They are split between North and South, and here they are alphabetically by division. Carolina MudcatsFrom: Zebulon, NC Founded: 1991 Affiliate: Milwaukee Brewers Stadium: Five County Stadium Opened: 1991 Capacity: 6,500 Championships: 2 (1995, 2003) Delmarva ShorebirdsFrom: Salisbury, MD Founded: 1996 Affiliate: Baltimore Orioles Stadium: Perdue Stadium Opened: 1996 Capacity: 5,200 Championships: 2 (1997, 2000) Down East Wood DucksFrom: Kinston, NC Founded: 2017 Affiliate: Texas Rangers Stadium: Grainger Stadium Opened: 1949 Capacity: 3,410 Championships: 1 (2017) Fredericksburg NationalsFrom: Fredericksburg, VA Founded: 2020 Affiliate: Washington Nationals Stadium: Virginia Credit Union Stadium Opened: 2021 Capacity: 5,000 Championships: 0 Lynchburg HillcatsFrom: Lynchburg, VA Founded: 1963 Affiliate: Cleveland Guardians Stadium: Bank of the James Stadium Opened: 1940 Capacity: 4,281 Championships: 8 (1978, 1983, 1984, 1997, 2002, 2009, 2012, 2017) Salem Red SoxFrom: Salem, VA Founded: 1955 Affiliate: Boston Red Sox Stadium: Salem Memorial Ballpark Opened: 1995 Capacity: 6,300 Championships: 7 (1955 [D], 1965 [R], 1972, 1974, 1987, 2001, 2013) Augusta GreenJacketsFrom: North Augusta, SC Founded: 1988 Affiliate: Atlanta Braves Stadium: SRP Park Opened: 2018 Capacity: 5,000 Championships: 4 (1989, 1995, 1999, 2008) Charleston RiverDogsFrom: Charleston, SC Founded: 1980 Affiliate: Tampa Bay Rays Stadium: Riley Park Opened: 1997 Capacity: 6,000 Championships: 1 (2021) Columbia FirefliesFrom: Columbia, SC Founded: 2016 Affiliate: Kansas City Royals Stadium: Segra Park Opened: 2016 Capacity: 9,077 Championships: 0 Fayetteville WoodpeckersFrom: Fayetteville, NC Founded: 2017 Affiliate: Houston Astros Stadium: Segra Stadium Opened: 2019 Capacity: 4,786 Championships: 1 (2018) Kannapolis Cannon BallersFrom: Kannapolis, NC Founded: 1995 Affiliate: Chicago White Sox Stadium: Atrium Health Ballpark Opened: 2020 Capacity: 3,218 Championships: 1 (2005) Myrtle Beach PelicansFrom: Myrtle Beach, SC
Founded: 1999 Affiliate: Chicago Cubs Stadium: Pelicans Ballpark Opened: 1999 Capacity: 6,599 Championships: 4 (1999, 2000, 2015, 2016) Today we're starting with A ball, and we're going to start in Florida. The FSL started in 1919, then took a break from 1928 to 1936, then took another break for World War II. It's been steady ever since then, though. It spent most of its existence as High-A, but was reclassified as regular A with the 2020 reorganization. Why? I don't really know. Florida weather can be pretty unpredictable, with all the hurricanes and all. It has wreaked havoc with FSL post-seasons before, so maybe MLB wanted to avoid that with High-A? I don't know. I don't know how much I really want to find out the answer, either. Today's FSL has ten teams, split up into East and West. For some reason, the divisions are unbalanced, so we have four in the East and six in the West. Not really sure about the need for that, either, but I don't get consulted about these things. Here are the teams, presented alphabetically by division. Daytona TortugasFrom: DeLand, FL Founded: 1993 Affiliate: Cincinnati Reds Stadium: Melching Field Opened: 1999 Capacity: 2,500 Championships: 6 (1995, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2013) Jupiter HammerheadsFrom: Jupiter, FL Founded: 1998 Affiliate: Miami Marlins Stadium: Roger Dean Stadium Opened: 1998 Capacity: 6,871 Championships: 0 Palm Beach CardinalsFrom: Jupiter, FL Founded: 2003 Affiliate: St. Louis Cardinals Stadium: Roger Dean Stadium Opened: 1998 Capacity: 6,871 Championships: 2 (2005, 2017) St. Lucie MetsFrom: Port St. Lucie Founded: 1988 Affiliate: New York Mets Stadium: Clover Park Opened: 1988 Capacity: 7,160 Championships: 5 (1988, 1995, 1998, 2003, 2006) Bradenton MaraudersFrom: Bradenton, FL Founded: 2010 Affiliate: Pittsburgh Pirates Stadium: LECOM Park Opened: 1923 Capacity: 8,500 Championships: 2 (2016, 2021) Clearwater ThreshersFrom: Clearwater, FL Founded: 1985 Affiliate: Philadelphia Phillies Stadium: BayCare Park Opened: 2004 Capacity: 8,500 Championships: 2 (1993, 2007) Dunedin Blue JaysFrom: Dunedin, FL Founded: 1987 Affiliate: Toronto Blue Jays Stadium: TD Ballpark Opened: 1990 Capacity: 8,500 Championships: 1 (2017) Fort Myers Mighty MusselsFrom: Fort Myers, FL Founded: 1926 Affiliate: Minnesota Twins Stadium: Hammond Stadium Opened: 1991 Capacity: 9,300 Championships: 7 (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1978, 2012, 2018) Lakeland Flying TigersFrom: Lakeland, FL Founded: 1960 Affiliate: Detroit Tigers Stadium: Joker Marchant Stadium Opened: 1966 Capacity: 8,500 Championships: 4 (1976, 1977, 1992, 2012) Tampa TarponsFrom: Tampa, FL
Founded: 1994 Affiliate: New York Yankees Stadium: Steinbrenner Field Opened: 1996 Capacity: 11,026 Championships: 5 (1995, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2010) We're going to finish out High-A today, and that brings us to the South Atlantic League. As Wikipedia notes, there have been several leagues called the South Atlantic. This particular league started out as the Western Carolinas League in 1963, then adopted the SAL name in 1980. Like every other current High-A league right now, the SAL was a Single-A league until the 2021 reorganization where it got a slight promotion. The teams are split between North and South, the North mostly being centered around Washington-to-New York area (with the exception of Greensboro, but I guess somebody had to be in the North), and the South being in traditional southern states. I think we can count Kentucky here, as they 1. were a slave-owning state and 2. are a traditional SEC state. And here they are in alphabetical order by division. Aberdeen IronBirdsFrom: Aberdeen, MD Founded: 1977 Affiliate: Baltimore Orioles Stadium: Ripken Stadium Opened: 2002 Capacity: 6,300 Championships: 1 (1983) Brooklyn CyclonesFrom: New York, NY (Brooklyn) Founded: 2001 Affiliate: New York Mets Stadium: Maimonides Park Opened: 2001 Capacity: 7,000 Championships: 2 (2001, 2019) Greensboro GrasshoppersFrom: Greensboro, NC Founded: 1979 Affiliate: Pittsburgh Pirates Stadium: First National Bank Field Opened: 2005 Capacity: 7,499 Championships: 4 (1980, 1981, 1982, 2011) Hudson Valley RenegadesFrom: Wappingers Falls, NY Founded: 1994 Affiliate: New York Yankees Stadium: Dutchess Stadium Opened: 1994 Capacity: 4,494 Championships: 3 (1999, 2012, 2017) Jersey Shore BlueClawsFrom: Lakewood, NJ Founded: 2001 Affiliate: Philadelphia Phillies Stadium: ShoreTown Ballpark Opened: 2001 Capacity: 6,588 Championships: 3 (2006, 2009, 2010) Wilmington Blue RocksFrom: Wilmington, DE Founded: 1993 Affiliate: Washington Nationals Stadium: Daniel S. Frawley Stadium Opened: 1993 Capacity: 6,404 Championships: 5 (1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2019) Asheville TouristsFrom: Asheville, NC Founded: 1897 Affiliate: Houston Astros Stadium: McCormick Field Opened: 1924 Capacity: 4,000 Championships: 7 (1915 [D], 1939 [B], 1961, 1968 [AA], 1984, 2012, 2014) Bowling Green Hot RodsFrom: Bowling Green, KY Founded: 2009 Affiliate: Tampa Bay Rays Stadium: Bowling Green Ballpark Opened: 2009 Capacity: 4,559 Championships: 2 (2018, 2021) Greenville DriveFrom: Greenville, SC Founded: 1993 Affiliate: Boston Red Sox Stadium: Fluor Field Opened: 2006 Capacity: 6,700 Championships: 2 (1998, 2017) Hickory CrawdadsFrom: Hickory, NC Founded: 1993 Affiliate: Texas Rangers Stadium: L.P. Frans Stadium Opened: 1993 Capacity: 4,000 Championships: 3 (2002, 2004, 2015) Rome BravesFrom: Rome, GA Founded: 2003 Affiliate: Atlanta Braves Stadium: AdventHealth Stadium Opened: 2003 Capacity: 5,105 Championships: 2 (2003, 2016) Winston-Salem DashFrom: Winston-Salem, NC
Founded: 1945 Affiliate: Chicago White Sox Stadium: Truist Stadium Opened: 2010 Capacity: 5,500 Championships: 14 (1911 [D], 1913 [D], 1914 [D], 1928 [C], 1950, 1951, 1964, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1979, 1986, 1993, 2003) Today we're going to look at the smallest league in High-A, the Northwest League. This is a six team league that traces some roots back to 1890, but the current iteration goes back to 1955. It was founded with seven teams and has gone as low as four teams and as high as eight, so it has always been a pretty tiny league. It spent the majority of its life as a Short Season league, a classification that no longer exists. With the death of that level, the NWL got promoted to High-A, but obviously without any sort of influx of teams. Here are the current teams in alphabetical order. Eugene EmeraldsFrom: Eugene, OR Founded: 1955 Affiliate: San Francisco Giants Stadium: PK Park Opened: 2009 Capacity: 4,000 Championships: 7 (1955 [B], 1974 [SS], 1975 [SS], 1980 [SS], 2016 [SS], 2018 [SS], 2021) Everett AquaSoxFrom: Everett, WA Founded: 1995 Affiliate: Seattle Mariners Stadium: Funko FIeld Opened: 1947 Capacity: 3,682 Championships: 1 (2010) Hillsboro HopsFrom: Hillsboro, OR Founded: 2013 Affiliate: Arizona Diamondbacks Stadium: Ron Tonkin Field Opened: 2013 Capacity: 5,534 Championships: 3 (2014, 2015, 2019) Spokane IndiansFrom: Spokane, WA Founded: 1898 Affiliate: Colorado Rockies Stadium: Avista Stadium Opened: 1958 Capacity: 6,803 Championships: 12 (1960 [AAA], 1970 [AAA], 1973 [AAA], 1974 [AAA], 1987 [SS], 1988 [SS], 1989 [SS], 1990 [SS], 1999 [SS], 2003 [SS], 2005 [SS], 2008 [SS]) Tri-City Dust DevilsFrom: Pasco, WA Founded: 2001 Affiliate: Los Angeles Angels Stadium: Gesa Stadium Opened: 1995 Capacity: 3,654 Championships: 0 Vancouver CanadiansFrom: Vancouver, BC
Founded: 2000 Affiliate: Toronto Blue Jays Stadium: Nat Bailey Stadium Opened: 1951 Capacity: 6,500 Championships: 4 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2017) Today we're breaking into High-A ball, and in a part of the nation that I should probably be more familiar with this league than I am. I'll admit that I really didn't know much about this league before doing a little research for this article. I knew a handful of the teams, but I knew none of the history. I was not surprised to find that this league historically had teams in both Danville, IL and Lafayette, IN, but I couldn't have told you that with any confidence before today. The Midwest League traces its roots back to the Illinois League in 1947, which was a Class D league back then. Before 1963, though, it seems baseball knew how the alphabet worked, whereas when things were reorganized in 1963, there was an insistence that everything had to be some level of Grade A. So I would say that the Midwest League was elevated to Class A, but really that was just a renaming more than anything else. The league really was elevated with this last round of MiLB reorganizing to High-A. Even with the bump in level, the league is using a logo that blatantly advertises "Class A." Seemed like a good chance to go back to their traditional logo to me, but clearly nobody asked. There are twelve teams in the league, split between East and West. Here they are alphabetically by division. Dayton DragonsFrom: Dayton, OH Founded: 1988 Affiliate: Cincinnati Reds Stadium: Day Air Ballpark Opened: 2000 Capacity: 7,230 Championships: 0 Fort Wayne TinCapsFrom: Fort Wayne, IN Founded: 1993 Affiliate: San Diego Padres Stadium: Parkview Field Opened: 2009 Capacity: 6,516 Championships: 1 (2009) Great Lakes LoonsFrom: Midland, MI Founded: 1982 Affiliate: Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium: Dow Diamond Opened: 2007 Capacity: 5,500 Championships: 2 (2000, 2016) Lake County CaptainsFrom: Eastlake, OH Founded: 1991 Affiliate: Cleveland Guardians Stadium: Classic Park Opened: 2003 Capacity: 7,273 Championships: 1 (2010) Lansing LugnutsFrom: Lansing, MI Founded: 1955 Affiliate: Oakland A's Stadium: Jackson Field Opened: 1996 Capacity: 7,527 Championships: 9 (1958, 1959, 1960, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1986, 1997, 2003) West Michigan WhitecapsFrom: Comstock Park, MI Founded: 1994 Affiliate: Detroit Tigers Stadium: LMCU Ballpark Opened: 1994 Capacity: 8,942 Championships: 6 (1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2015) Beloit Sky CarpFrom: Beloit, WI Founded: 1982 Affiliate: Miami Marlins Stadium: ABC Supply Stadium Opened: 2021 Capacity: 3,850 Championships: 1 (1995) Cedar Rapids KernelsFrom: Cedar Rapids, IA Founded: 1890 Affiliate: Minnesota Twins Stadium: Veterans Memorial Stadium Opened: 2002 Capacity: 5,300 Championships: 13 (1897 [B], 1906 [B], 1922 [D], 1925 [D], 1930 [D], 1937 [A], 1940 [B], 1941 [B], 1942 [B], 1958 [B], 1988 [A], 1992 [A], 1994 [A]) Peoria ChiefsFrom: Peoria, IL Founded: 1983 Affiliate: St. Louis Cardinals Stadium: Dozer Park Opened: 2002 Capacity: 8,500 Championships: 1 (2002) Quad Cities River BanditsFrom: Davenport, IA Founded: 1901 Affiliate: Kansas City Royals Stadium: Modern Woodsmen Park Opened: 1931 Capacity: 4,024 Championships: 12 (1914 [B], 1933 [B], 1936 [A], 1949 [B], 1968 [A], 1971 [A], 1979 [A], 1990 [A], 2011 [A], 2013 [A], 2017 [A], 2021) South Bend CubsFrom: South Bend, IN Founded: 1988 Affiliate: Chicago Cubs Stadium: Four Winds Field Opened: 1987 Capacity: 5,000 Championships: 4 (1989, 1993, 2005, 2019) Wisconsin Timber RattlersFrom: Appleton, WI
Founded: 1958 Affiliate: Milwaukee Brewers Stadium: Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium Opened: 1995 Capacity: 5,900 Championships: 10 (1960 [B], 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2012) Here is our final stop in Double-A, the Texas League. This league is just full of lies. For one, only half of the teams are actually in Texas. For two, the logo claims heritage back to 1888, but this iteration of the league only dates back to 1902. For three, even that heritage takes a break for World War II, and there was a short stint in the late 50's and early 60's where they combined with the Mexican League. So, you know, we're off to a roaring start. In any case, you can make the argument that this is the Goldilocks of Double-A. The Eastern League is the biggest at twelve, the Southern League is the smallest at eight, and this league is right in the middle with ten. These teams are split into North and South, with the South Division actually being in Texas. I've presented them here in alphabetical order with the North first. Arkansas TravelersFrom: North Little Rock, AR Founded: 1963 Affiliate: Seattle Mariners Stadium: Dickey-Stephens Park Opened: 2007 Capacity: 5,800 Championships: 8 (1966, 1971, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1989, 2001, 2008) Northwest Arkansas NaturalsFrom: Springdale, AR Founded: 2008 Affiliate: Kansas City Royals Stadium: Arvest Ballpark Opened: 2008 Capacity: 5,353 Championships: 2 (2010, 2021) Springfield CardinalsFrom: Springfield, MO Founded: 2005 Affiliate: St. Louis Cardinals Stadium: Hammons Field Opened: 2004 Capacity: 7,986 Championships: 1 (2012) Tulsa DrillersFrom: Tulsa, OK Founded: 1977 Affiliate: Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium: ONEOK Field Opened: 2010 Capacity: 7,833 Championships: 4 (1982, 1988, 1998, 2018) Wichita Wind SurgeFrom: Wichita, KS Founded: 2020 Affiliate: Minnesota Twins Stadium: Riverfront Stadium Opened: 2021 Capacity: 10,025 Championships: 0 Amarillo Sod PoodlesFrom: Amarillo, TX Founded: 2019 Affiliate: Arizona Diamondbacks Stadium: Hodgetown Opened: 2019 Capacity: 6,631 Championships: 1 (2019) Corpus Christi HooksFrom: Corpus Christi, TX Founded: 1968 Affiliate: Houston Astros Stadium: Whataburger Field Opened: 2005 Capacity: 5,679 Championships: 9 (1969, 1973, 1974, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1993, 1996, 2006) Frisco RoughRidersFrom: Frisco, TX Founded: 2003 Affiliate: Texas Rangers Stadium: Riders Field Opened: 2003 Capacity: 7,748 Championships: 1 (2004) Midland RockHoundsFrom: Midland, TX Founded: 1972 Affiliate: Oakland A's Stadium: Momentum Bank Ballpark Opened: 2002 Capacity: 4,709 Championships: 7 (1975, 2002, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) San Antonio MissionsFrom: San Antonio, TX
Founded: 1888 Affiliate: San Diego Padres Stadium: Wolff Municipal Stadium Opened: 1994 Capacity: 9,200 Championships: 14 (1897 [C], 1903 [C], 1908 [C], 1933 [A], 1950, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2013) |
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