Beloit Changes Name to Beloit Sky Carp

Posted on November 15, 2021 by Mike McCann

The Beloit Snappers have changed their name to the Beloit Sky Carp.  The Snappers were the nickname since 1995 when they moved on from the name Beloit Brewers.  It’s disappointing to see a name that lasted that long go away, but Sky Carp better aligns with the Marlins affiliation, even if it’s referring to a goose.

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Philadelphia Phillies vs Miami Marlins – July 17, 2021

Posted on July 18, 2021 by Mike McCann

I made it to my first Phillies game of the year yesterday seeing them host the Marlins on a stormy night.  The game started out well for the Phillies as they scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the first on an Andrew McCutchen sacrifice fly and Rhys Hoskins double.  The pitchers were in control after that as no runs were scored again until the 9th inning when Jesus Aguilar hit a two-run home run for the Marlins.  While there was an earlier rain delay in the 5th inning that last just long enough to get the tarp on the field and then almost immediately remove it, the really bad storms came through two pitches into the 10th inning.  As a result, the game was suspended and scheduled to be picked up the following afternoon.

The game featured the following prospects:
RF Monte Harrison (Marlins #13) – entered as pinch runner and made great sliding catch
PH Luke Williams (Phillies #29) – flied out in only at bat

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Aberdeen IronBirds vs Rome Braves – June 26, 2021

Posted on June 27, 2021 by Mike McCann

I was finally able to get to my first game of 2021 to see what the post-pandemic minor league baseball experience felt like.  I looked at the IronBirds website ahead of the game and it’s still a little out of date, unless they just aren’t enforcing their guidelines since it still indicates that people should wear masks unless they are in their seats.  They also said that there were no autographs permitted, but I did see a number of players signing autographs ahead of the game (note to self for next game).  They also mentioned that there could be nobody on the field except for the teams and umpires, which was the case.  So this meant no national anthem singer, no on-field contests between innings, and no batboys.  Not having batboys took a little getting used to since you are seeing players pick up their own bats and each team had a dedicated player in that role who would pick up the foul balls on their side and the IronBirds had someone bringing out fresh baseballs to the umpire.  They did still have a handful of promotions and tried to do something for the fans between the half-innings, but it was definitely a watered down version of what they had previously.

The pitching matchup was Darius Vines for Rome, who was making his High A debut, and Connor Gillispie, who had a 5.91 ERA coming into the game.  Both pitchers looked good for most of the game, with the main struggle being the third inning for Vines.  After getting two outs, the first runner of the game reached on an error.  Then following a single and walk, he gave up a grand slam to 3B Jordan Westburg.  Gillispie scattered three hits and a walk pitching five shutout innings for the win and Ryan Conroy pitched the final four scoreless innings for the save, giving the IronBirds a 5-0 win.

The game featured the following prospects:
CF Michael Harris (Braves #9) – 0-4, reached on error, SB, CS
DH Bryce Ball (Braves #12) – 0-4
RF Jesse Franklin (Braves #15) – 0-3, BB
C Logan Brown (Braves #24) – 1-4, single, ended game with GIDP
SS Gunnar Henderson (Orioles #5) – 0-3, hitless in 10 AB since promotion to High A
3B Jordan Westburg (Orioles #6) – 1-3, grand slam
CF Adam Hall (Orioles #11) – 1-4, RBI single

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2021 Minor League Baseball – Invitations Accepted and Leagues Defined

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Mike McCann

Today it was announced that all 120 minor league teams that received invitations have accepted, which isn’t really a surprise.  What was more surprising is that the league structure contained generic league names and not the previously used names.  The speculation is that they haven’t decided on the league names yet and may go to sponsored league names.  It is disappointing if this restructuring appears to be leading to the loss of these historic league names, yet not that shocking.

Note that the leagues are the same as what I listed previously, but they have different names based on level and geographic location.

Here are the leagues that were announced by MLB:

Triple-A East
Buffalo Bisons – Blue Jays
Charlotte Knights – White Sox
Columbus Clippers – Indians
Durham Bulls – Rays
Gwinnett Stripers – Braves
Indianapolis Indians – Pirates
Iowa Cubs – Cubs
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Marlins
Lehigh Valley IronPigs – Phillies
Louisville Bats – Reds
Memphis Redbirds – Cardinals
Nashville Sounds – Brewers
Norfolk Tides – Orioles
Omaha Storm Chasers – Royals
Rochester Red Wings – Nationals
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders – Yankees
St. Paul Saints – Twins
Syracuse Mets – Mets
Toledo Mud Hens – Tigers
Worcester Red Sox – Red Sox

Triple-A West
Albuquerque Isotopes – Rockies
El Paso Chihuahuas – Padres
Las Vegas Aviators – A’s
Oklahoma City Dodgers – Dodgers
Reno Aces – Diamondbacks
Round Rock Express – Rangers
Sacramento River Cats – Giants
Salt Lake Bees – Angels
Sugar Land Skeeters – Astros
Tacoma Rainiers – Mariners

Double-A Central
Amarillo Sod Poodles – Diamondbacks
Arkansas Travelers – Mariners
Corpus Christi Hooks – Astros
Frisco RoughRiders – Rangers
Midland RockHounds – A’s
Northwest Arkansas Naturals – Royals
San Antonio Missions – Padres
Springfield Cardinals – Cardinals
Tulsa Drillers – Dodgers
Wichita Wind Surge – Twins

Double-A Northeast
Akron RubberDucks – Indians
Altoona Curve – Pirates
Binghamton Rumble Ponies – Mets
Bowie Baysox – Orioles
Erie SeaWolves – Tigers
Harrisburg Senators – Nationals
Hartford Yard Goats – Rockies
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Blue Jays
Portland Sea Dogs – Red Sox
Reading Fightin Phils – Phillies
Richmond Flying Squirrels – Giants
Somerset Patriots – Yankees

Double-A South
Biloxi Shuckers – Brewers
Birmingham Barons – White Sox
Chattanooga Lookouts – Reds
Mississippi Braves – Braves
Montgomery Biscuits – Rays
Pensacola Blue Wahoos – Marlins
Rocket City Trash Pandas – Angels
Tennessee Smokies – Cubs

High-A Central
Beloit Snappers – Marlins
Cedar Rapids Kernels – Twins
Dayton Dragons – Reds
Fort Wayne TinCaps – Padres
Great Lakes Loons – Dodgers
Lake County Captains – Indians
Lansing Lugnuts – A’s
Peoria Chiefs – Cardinals
Quad Cities River Bandits – Royals
South Bend Cubs – Cubs
West Michigan Whitecaps – Tigers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Brewers

High-A East
Aberdeen IronBirds – Orioles
Asheville Tourists – Astros
Bowling Green Hot Rods – Rays
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates
Greenville Drive – Red Sox
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies
Rome Braves – Braves
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Nationals
Winston-Salem Dash – White Sox

High-A West
Eugene Emeralds – Giants
Everett AquaSox – Mariners
Hillsboro Hops – Diamondbacks
Spokane Indians – Rockies
Tri-City Dust Devils – Angels
Vancouver Canadians – Blue Jays

Low-A East
Augusta GreenJackets – Braves
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers
Charleston Riverdogs – Rays
Columbia Fireflies – Royals
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros
Fredericksburg Nationals – Nationals
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox

Low-A Southeast
Bradenton Marauders – Pirates
Clearwater Threshers – Phillies
Daytona Tortugas- Reds
Dunedin Blue Jays – Blue Jays
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels – Twins
Jupiter Hammerheads – Marlins
Lakeland Flying Tigers – Tigers
Palm Beach Cardinals – Cardinals
St. Lucie Mets – Mets
Tampa Tarpons – Yankees

Low-A West
Fresno Grizzlies – Rockies
Lake Elsinore Storm – Padres
Modesto Nuts – Mariners
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – Dodgers
San Bernardino Inland Empire 66ers – Angels
San Jose Giants – Giants
Stockton Ports – A’s
Visalia Rawhide – Diamondbacks

 

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2021 Minor League Baseball – League Structure Revision

Posted on December 11, 2020 by Mike McCann

Based on reports as to what the league structure will be, I’ve made some updates to my list.

It sounds like the AAA will have 20 teams in the International League and 10 teams in the Pacific Coast League.  As a result, I’ve also moved Iowa, Memphis, Omaha, and St. Paul to the IL, in addition to Nashville who I put there to have two even numbered leagues.

I also made the Mid-Atlantic League a 12 team league, which would eliminate the Carolina League.  And I put Bowling Green there instead of Lake County, since it sounds like how they are now planning things.

This is all tentative as it depends on each team agreeing to the PDL, so there could still be some team changes, which could impact the league structures.

Red denotes changes.  Blue denotes ownership stake.

So according to this Minor League Baseball would look something like this:

International League (AAA)
Buffalo Bisons – Blue Jays
Charlotte Knights – White Sox
Columbus Clippers – Indians
Durham Bulls – Rays
Gwinnett Stripers – Braves
Indianapolis Indians – Pirates
Iowa Cubs – Cubs – Move from Pacific Coast League
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Marlins
Lehigh Valley IronPigs – Phillies
Louisville Bats – Reds
Memphis Redbirds – Cardinals – Move from Pacific Coast League
Nashville Sounds – Rangers Brewers – Move from Pacific Coast League
Norfolk Tides – Orioles
Omaha Storm Chasers – Royals – Move from Pacific Coast League
Rochester Red Wings – Twins Nationals
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders – Yankees
St. Paul Saints – Twins
Syracuse Mets – Mets
Toledo Mud Hens – Tigers
Worcester Red Sox – Red Sox

Pacific Coast League (AAA)
Albuquerque Isotopes – Rockies
El Paso Chihuahuas – Padres
Fresno Grizzlies – Nationals – Move to California League (Low A)
Las Vegas Aviators – A’s
Oklahoma City Dodgers – Dodgers
Reno Aces – Diamondbacks
Round Rock Express – Astros Rangers
Sacramento River Cats – Giants
Salt Lake Bees – Angels
San Antonio Missions – Brewers – Move to Texas League (AA)
Sugar Land Skeeters – Astros
Tacoma Rainiers – Mariners
Wichita Wind Surge – Marlins – Move to Texas League (AA)

Eastern League (AA)
Akron RubberDucks – Indians
Altoona Curve – Pirates
Binghamton Rumble Ponies – Mets
Bowie Baysox – Orioles
Erie SeaWolves – Tigers
Harrisburg Senators – Nationals
Hartford Yard Goats – Rockies
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Blue Jays
Portland Sea Dogs – Red Sox
Reading Fightin Phils – Phillies
Richmond Flying Squirrels – Giants
Somerset Patriots – Yankees
Trenton Thunder – Yankees

Southern League (AA)
Biloxi Shuckers – Brewers
Birmingham Barons – White Sox
Chattanooga Lookouts – Reds
Jackson Generals – Diamondbacks
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Marlins – Move to International League (AAA)
Mississippi Braves – Braves
Montgomery Biscuits – Rays
Pensacola Blue Wahoos – Twins Marlins
Rocket City Trash Pandas – Angels
Tennessee Smokies – Cubs

Texas League (AA)
Amarillo Sod Poodles – Padres Diamondbacks
Arkansas Travelers – Mariners
Corpus Christi Hooks – Astros
Frisco RoughRiders – Rangers
Midland RockHounds – A’s
Northwest Arkansas Naturals – Royals
San Antonio Missions – Padres
Springfield Cardinals – Cardinals
Tulsa Drillers – Dodgers
Wichita Wind Surge – Twins

Mid-Atlantic League Carolina League (High A)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Orioles
Asheville Tourists – Astros
Bowling Green Hot Rods – Rays – Move from Midwest League
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Frederick Keys – Orioles
Fredericksburg Nationals – Nationals – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates
Greenville Drive – Red Sox
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Rome Braves – Braves
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals Nationals
Winston-Salem Dash – White Sox

Midwest League (Low A) (High A)
Beloit Snappers – A’s Marlins
Burlington Bees – Angels
Cedar Rapids Kernels – Twins
Clinton Lumber Kings – Marlins
Dayton Dragons – Reds
Fort Wayne TinCaps – Padres
Great Lakes Loons – Dodgers
Kane County Cougars – Diamondbacks
Lake County Captains – Indians
Lansing Lugnuts – Blue Jays A’s
Peoria Chiefs – Cardinals
Quad Cities River Bandits – Astros Royals
South Bend Cubs – Cubs
West Michigan Whitecaps – Tigers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Brewers

Northwest League (A – Short Season) (High A)
Boise Hawks – Rockies
Eugene Emeralds – Cubs Giants
Everett AquaSox – Mariners
Hillsboro Hops – Diamondbacks
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes – Giants
Spokane Indians – Rangers Rockies
Tri-City Dust Devils – Padres Angels
Vancouver Canadians – Blue Jays

California League (High A)(Low A)
Fresno Grizzlies – Rockies
Lake Elsinore Storm – Padres
Lancaster JetHawks – Rockies
Modesto Nuts – Mariners
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – Dodgers
San Bernardino Inland Empire 66ers – Angels
San Jose Giants – Giants
Stockton Ports – A’s
Visalia Rawhide – Diamondbacks

Florida State League (High A)(Low A)
Bradenton Marauders – Pirates
Charlotte Stone Crabs – Rays
Clearwater Threshers – Phillies
Daytona Tortugas- Reds
Dunedin Blue Jays – Blue Jays
Florida Fire Frogs – Braves
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels – Twins
Jupiter Hammerheads – Marlins
Lakeland Flying Tigers – Tigers
Palm Beach Cardinals – Cardinals
St. Lucie Mets – Mets
Tampa Tarpons – Yankees

South Atlantic League (Low A)
Asheville Tourists – Rockies – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants Braves
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers
Charleston Riverdogs – Yankees Rays
Columbia Fireflies – Mets Royals
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros
Fredericksburg Nationals – Nationals
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Greenville Drive – Red Sox – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lexington Legends – Royals
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs
Rome Braves – Braves – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox
West Virginia Power – Mariners

NY-Penn League (A – Short Season)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Auburn Doubledays
Batavia Muckdogs
Brooklyn Cyclones – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Hudson Valley Renegades – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Lowell Spinners
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Norwich Sea Unicorns
State College Spikes
Staten Island Yankees
Tri-City ValleyCats
Vermont Lake Monsters
West Virginia Black Bears
Williamsport Crosscutters

Appalachian League (Rookie – Short Season)
Bluefield Blue Jays
Bristol Pirates
Burlington Royals
Danville Braves
Elizabethton Twins
Greeneville Reds
Johnson City Cardinals
Kingsport Mets
Princeton Rays
Pulaski Yankees

Pioneer League (Rookie – Short Season)
Billings Mustangs
Grand Junction Rockies
Great Falls Voyagers
Idaho Falls Chukars
Missoula PaddleHeads
Ogden Raptors
Orem Owlz
Rocky Mountain Vibes

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2021 Minor League Baseball – Invitations Sent

Posted on December 9, 2020 by Mike McCann

Today the list of 2021 Minor League Baseball Player Development Licenses (PDL) were sent to teams.  The list represents what MLB wants MiLB to look like next year, but each of the teams needs to agree to those terms.  While for most it is an obvious decision, it is not out of the question that some teams will choose to not sign and another team will need to be found.  I’m going to assume that this is what 2021 will look like and I’ll provide updates as things change.

The link above doesn’t contain everything, but I’ll fill in the rest based on other sources.  It’s also unclear what the league structures will be, so I’ll make my best guesses there.

At the AAA level, things fell out pretty much as people expected with the only remaining question marks being Nashville and Round Rock affiliating with the Brewers and Rangers respectively.  While some thought that the Rangers returning to a Texas AAA affiliate was obvious, others pointed out that the Brewers left Nashville on bad terms previously.

At AA, the biggest surprise was the Diamondbacks going to Amarillo since I was unaware of that being a possibility, but since San Antonio needed a new partner, the Padres aren’t too illogical since they were there in the not too distant past.  We also received confirmation that while there were early rumors about Bowling Green jumping to AA, Chattanooga did make the cut and Bowling Green will stay at a lower level.

I was saying previously that the High A / Low A distinction was a jumbled mess and I was assuming that they would try to break up some of the overlap.  It doesn’t look like that was quite the case as High A will stretch from New York to Georgia on the east coast.  And based on that, and the natural separate of teams, I’m going back to assuming that there will be a Mid-Atlantic League and a Carolina League, each with six teams.  Interestingly, of the 2019 Carolina League that consisted of ten teams, only two will remain at High A (Wilmington and Winston-Salem) and six will drop to Low A.  I’m also going to assume that Lake County goes to the Mid-Atlantic League and Bowling Green remains in the Midwest League, but one of those two teams would have to join a league on the east coast.  And the South Atlantic League appears to have only two previous members with the same affiliations as last time.  Some of the affiliations did move around from previous guesses, but I don’t think there are any that seem too out of place.

Note: I originally had Asheville as Astros High A, then changed it to Fayetteville, but it looks like Asheville is correct, so I updated it back to the original.

Red denotes changes.  Blue denotes ownership stake.

So according to this Minor League Baseball would look something like this:

International League (AAA)
Buffalo Bisons – Blue Jays
Charlotte Knights – White Sox
Columbus Clippers – Indians
Durham Bulls – Rays
Gwinnett Stripers – Braves
Indianapolis Indians – Pirates
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Marlins
Lehigh Valley IronPigs – Phillies
Louisville Bats – Reds
Nashville Sounds – Rangers Brewers – Move from Pacific Coast League?
Norfolk Tides – Orioles
Rochester Red Wings – Twins Nationals
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders – Yankees
Syracuse Mets – Mets
Toledo Mud Hens – Tigers
Worcester Red Sox – Red Sox

Pacific Coast League (AAA)
Albuquerque Isotopes – Rockies
El Paso Chihuahuas – Padres
Fresno Grizzlies – Nationals – Move to California League (Low A)
Iowa Cubs – Cubs
Las Vegas Aviators – A’s
Memphis Redbirds – Cardinals
Oklahoma City Dodgers – Dodgers
Omaha Storm Chasers – Royals
Reno Aces – Diamondbacks
Round Rock Express – Astros Rangers
Sacramento River Cats – Giants
Salt Lake Bees – Angels
San Antonio Missions – Brewers – Move to Texas League (AA)
St. Paul Saints – Twins
Sugar Land Skeeters – Astros
Tacoma Rainiers – Mariners
Wichita Wind Surge – Marlins – Move to Texas League (AA)

Eastern League (AA)
Akron RubberDucks – Indians
Altoona Curve – Pirates
Binghamton Rumble Ponies – Mets
Bowie Baysox – Orioles
Erie SeaWolves – Tigers
Harrisburg Senators – Nationals
Hartford Yard Goats – Rockies
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Blue Jays
Portland Sea Dogs – Red Sox
Reading Fightin Phils – Phillies
Richmond Flying Squirrels – Giants
Somerset Patriots – Yankees
Trenton Thunder – Yankees

Southern League (AA)
Biloxi Shuckers – Brewers
Birmingham Barons – White Sox
Chattanooga Lookouts – Reds
Jackson Generals – Diamondbacks
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Marlins – Move to International League (AAA)
Mississippi Braves – Braves
Montgomery Biscuits – Rays
Pensacola Blue Wahoos – Twins Marlins
Rocket City Trash Pandas – Angels
Tennessee Smokies – Cubs

Texas League (AA)
Amarillo Sod Poodles – Padres Diamondbacks
Arkansas Travelers – Mariners
Corpus Christi Hooks – Astros
Frisco RoughRiders – Rangers
Midland RockHounds – A’s
Northwest Arkansas Naturals – Royals
San Antonio Missions – Padres
Springfield Cardinals – Cardinals
Tulsa Drillers – Dodgers
Wichita Wind Surge – Twins

Carolina League (High A)
Asheville Tourists – Astros
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Frederick Keys – Orioles
Fredericksburg Nationals – Nationals – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates
Greenville Drive – Red Sox
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Rome Braves – Braves
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox – Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)
Winston-Salem Dash – White Sox

Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Orioles
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies
Lake County Captains – Indians – Move from Midwest League?
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals Nationals

Midwest League (Low A) (High A)
Beloit Snappers – A’s Marlins
Bowling Green Hot Rods – Rays
Burlington Bees – Angels
Cedar Rapids Kernels – Twins
Clinton Lumber Kings – Marlins
Dayton Dragons – Reds
Fort Wayne TinCaps – Padres
Great Lakes Loons – Dodgers
Kane County Cougars – Diamondbacks
Lansing Lugnuts – Blue Jays A’s
Peoria Chiefs – Cardinals
Quad Cities River Bandits – Astros Royals
South Bend Cubs – Cubs
West Michigan Whitecaps – Tigers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Brewers

Northwest League (A – Short Season) (High A)
Boise Hawks – Rockies
Eugene Emeralds – Cubs Giants
Everett AquaSox – Mariners
Hillsboro Hops – Diamondbacks
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes – Giants
Spokane Indians – Rangers Rockies
Tri-City Dust Devils – Padres Angels
Vancouver Canadians – Blue Jays

California League (High A)(Low A)
Fresno Grizzlies – Rockies
Lake Elsinore Storm – Padres
Lancaster JetHawks – Rockies
Modesto Nuts – Mariners
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – Dodgers
San Bernardino Inland Empire 66ers – Angels
San Jose Giants – Giants
Stockton Ports – A’s
Visalia Rawhide – Diamondbacks

Florida State League (High A)(Low A)
Bradenton Marauders – Pirates
Charlotte Stone Crabs – Rays
Clearwater Threshers – Phillies
Daytona Tortugas- Reds
Dunedin Blue Jays – Blue Jays
Florida Fire Frogs – Braves
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels – Twins
Jupiter Hammerheads – Marlins
Lakeland Flying Tigers – Tigers
Palm Beach Cardinals – Cardinals
St. Lucie Mets – Mets
Tampa Tarpons – Yankees

South Atlantic League (Low A)
Asheville Tourists – Rockies – Move to Carolina League (High A)
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants Braves
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers
Charleston Riverdogs – Yankees Rays
Columbia Fireflies – Mets Royals
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros
Fredericksburg Nationals – Nationals
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates – Move to Carolina League (High A)
Greenville Drive – Red Sox – Move to Carolina League (High A)
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers – Move to Carolina League (High A)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lexington Legends – Royals
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs
Rome Braves – Braves – Move to Carolina League (High A)
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox
West Virginia Power – Mariners

NY-Penn League (A – Short Season)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Auburn Doubledays
Batavia Muckdogs
Brooklyn Cyclones – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Hudson Valley Renegades – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Lowell Spinners
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Norwich Sea Unicorns
State College Spikes
Staten Island Yankees
Tri-City ValleyCats
Vermont Lake Monsters
West Virginia Black Bears
Williamsport Crosscutters

Appalachian League (Rookie – Short Season)
Bluefield Blue Jays
Bristol Pirates
Burlington Royals
Danville Braves
Elizabethton Twins
Greeneville Reds
Johnson City Cardinals
Kingsport Mets
Princeton Rays
Pulaski Yankees

Pioneer League (Rookie – Short Season)
Billings Mustangs
Grand Junction Rockies
Great Falls Voyagers
Idaho Falls Chukars
Missoula PaddleHeads
Ogden Raptors
Orem Owlz
Rocky Mountain Vibes

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Update on 2021 Minor League Baseball – Revision 8

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Mike McCann

I keep telling myself that I’m not going to make any more updates, but then I hear some piece of information that makes me want to guess more.

Today it was announced that some of the teams that aren’t making the 120 team cut would be included in the MLB Draft League.  This includes four NY-Penn League teams (Mahoning Valley Scrappers, State College Spikes, West Virginia Black Bears, and Williamsport Crosscutters) and the Trenton Thunder from the AA Eastern League.  While I was thinking that maybe Trenton would be included in the High A Mid-Atlantic League, this confirms that they will not be.  And since Aberdeen wasn’t on this list, I suspect that means that they will remain in affiliated ball.  To complete the MLB Draft league, the best guess is that the Hagerstown Suns will be joining also to make six teams.

It was also announced that the Pioneer League would become an independent MLB partner league.  So really the term independent doesn’t apply anymore if they have a connection to MLB, but it sounds better than unaffiliated minor league.  The only change from the existing Pioneer League is that the Orem Owlz are moving to Windsor, CO to become the Northern Colorado Owlz.  Still disappointed with the z at the end of their name.

Since it’s being speculated that the A’s will be putting their High A team in Lansing with the Blue Jays staying in Vancouver, I figured I’d make some more updates to the Midwest League.  There’s additional speculation about the Astros going to Beloit and the Royals going to Quad Cities, so if you do that, the Rays would be in Kane County based on how I have it.  The Rays High A team has been difficult for me since they best belong in the Mid-Atlantic League, but there’s no obvious teams to move to the Midwest League since the Rangers and White Sox aren’t going anywhere.  Then again, maybe Bowling Green isn’t leaving the Midwest League and the Rays remain there and some other MWL team is getting cut instead of Chattanooga.

So let me know what you think of the latest version.  I’ll keep making updates when new information is available.

This is my best attempt at piecing together the leaked information with some attempt at logic and keeping as much in place from 2019 as reasonable.  Red denotes changes.  Blue denotes ownership stake.  Question marks are things I made up.

So according to this Minor League Baseball would look something like this:

International League (AAA)
Buffalo Bisons – Blue Jays
Charlotte Knights – White Sox
Columbus Clippers – Indians
Durham Bulls – Rays
Gwinnett Stripers – Braves
Indianapolis Indians – Pirates
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Marlins
Lehigh Valley IronPigs – Phillies
Louisville Bats – Reds
Nashville Sounds – Rangers Brewers? Move from Pacific Coast League?
Norfolk Tides – Orioles
Worcester Red Sox (2019 Pawtucket Red Sox) – Red Sox
Rochester Red Wings – Twins Nationals
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders – Yankees
Syracuse Mets – Mets
Toledo Mud Hens – Tigers

Pacific Coast League (AAA)
Albuquerque Isotopes – Rockies
El Paso Chihuahuas – Padres
Fresno Grizzlies – Nationals – Move to California League (Low A)
Iowa Cubs – Cubs
Las Vegas Aviators – A’s
Memphis Redbirds – Cardinals
Oklahoma City Dodgers – Dodgers
Omaha Storm Chasers – Royals
Reno Aces – Diamondbacks
Round Rock Express – Astros Rangers?
Sacramento River Cats – Giants
Salt Lake Bees – Angels
San Antonio Missions – Brewers – Move to Texas League (AA)
St. Paul Saints – Twins
Sugar Land Skeeters – Astros
Tacoma Rainiers – Mariners
Wichita Wind Surge (2019 New Orleans Baby Cakes) – Marlins – Move to Texas League (AA)

Eastern League (AA)
Akron RubberDucks – Indians
Altoona Curve – Pirates
Binghamton Rumble Ponies – Mets
Bowie Baysox – Orioles
Erie SeaWolves – Tigers
Harrisburg Senators – Nationals
Hartford Yard Goats – Rockies
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Blue Jays
Portland Sea Dogs – Red Sox
Reading Fightin Phils – Phillies
Richmond Flying Squirrels – Giants
Somerset Patriots – Yankees
Trenton Thunder – Yankees

Southern League (AA)
Biloxi Shuckers – Brewers
Birmingham Barons – White Sox
Bowling Green Hot Rods? – Reds?
Chattanooga Lookouts – Reds
Jackson Generals – Diamondbacks
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Marlins Move to International League (AAA)
Mississippi Braves – Braves
Montgomery Biscuits – Rays
Pensacola Blue Wahoos – Twins Marlins
Rocket City Trash Pandas (2019 Mobile BayBears) – Angels
Tennessee Smokies – Cubs

Texas League (AA)
Amarillo Sod Poodles – Padres
Arkansas Travelers – Mariners
Corpus Christi Hooks – Astros
Frisco RoughRiders – Rangers
Midland RockHounds – A’s
Northwest Arkansas Naturals – Royals
San Antonio Missions – Diamondbacks?
Springfield Cardinals – Cardinals
Tulsa Drillers – Dodgers
Wichita Wind Surge – Twins?

Carolina League Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Aberdeen IronBirds? – Orioles
Asheville Tourists? – Marlins?
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)?
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)?
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)?
Frederick Keys – Orioles
Fredericksburg Nationals (2019 Potomac Nationals) – Nationals
Greensboro Grasshoppers? – Pirates
Hickory Crawdads? – Rangers
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Jersey Shore BlueClaws? – Phillies
Lake County Captains? – Indians
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)?
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)?
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals Braves?
Winston-Salem Dash – White Sox

Midwest League (Low A) (High A)
Beloit Snappers – A’s Astros?
Bowling Green Hot Rods – Rays Move to Southern League (AA)?
Burlington Bees – Angels
Cedar Rapids Kernels – Twins
Clinton Lumber Kings – Marlins
Dayton Dragons – Reds
Fort Wayne TinCaps – Padres
Great Lakes Loons – Dodgers
Kane County Cougars – Diamondbacks Rays?
Lake County Captains – Indians Move to Mid-Atlantic League?
Lansing Lugnuts – Blue Jays A’s?
Peoria Chiefs – Cardinals
Quad Cities River Bandits – Astros Royals?
South Bend Cubs – Cubs
West Michigan Whitecaps – Tigers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Brewers

Northwest League (A – Short Season) (High A)
Boise Hawks – Rockies
Eugene Emeralds – Cubs Giants?
Everett AquaSox – Mariners
Hillsboro Hops – Diamondbacks
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes – Giants
Spokane Indians – Rangers Rockies?
Tri-City Dust Devils – Padres Angels?
Vancouver Canadians – Blue Jays

California League (High A)(Low A)
Fresno Grizzlies – Rockies?
Lake Elsinore Storm – Padres
Lancaster JetHawks – Rockies
Modesto Nuts – Mariners
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – Dodgers
San Bernardino Inland Empire 66ers – Angels
San Jose Giants – Giants
Stockton Ports – A’s
Visalia Rawhide – Diamondbacks

Florida State League (High A)(Low A)
Bradenton Marauders – Pirates
Charlotte Stone Crabs – Rays
Clearwater Threshers – Phillies
Daytona Tortugas- Reds
Dunedin Blue Jays – Blue Jays
Florida Fire Frogs – Braves
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels – Twins
Jupiter Hammerheads – Marlins
Lakeland Flying Tigers – Tigers
Palm Beach Cardinals – Cardinals
St. Lucie Mets – Mets
Tampa Tarpons – Yankees

South Atlantic League (Low A)
Asheville Tourists – Rockies Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)?
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants Royals?
Carolina Mudcats? – Brewers
Charleston Riverdogs – Yankees Rays?
Columbia Fireflies – Mets Nationals?
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)?
Greenville Drive – Red Sox
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)?
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)?
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lexington Legends – Royals
Lynchburg Hillcats? – Indians
Myrtle Beach Pelicans? – Cubs
Rome Braves – Braves
West Virginia Power – Mariners

NY-Penn League (A – Short Season)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)?
Auburn Doubledays
Batavia Muckdogs
Brooklyn Cyclones – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Hudson Valley Renegades – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Lowell Spinners
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Norwich Sea Unicorns
State College Spikes
Staten Island Yankees
Tri-City ValleyCats
Vermont Lake Monsters
West Virginia Black Bears
Williamsport Crosscutters

Appalachian League (Rookie – Short Season)
Bluefield Blue Jays
Bristol Pirates
Burlington Royals
Danville Braves
Elizabethton Twins
Greeneville Reds
Johnson City Cardinals
Kingsport Mets
Princeton Rays
Pulaski Yankees

Pioneer League (Rookie – Short Season)
Billings Mustangs
Grand Junction Rockies
Great Falls Voyagers
Idaho Falls Chukars
Missoula PaddleHeads
Ogden Raptors
Orem Owlz
Rocky Mountain Vibes

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Update on 2021 Minor League Baseball – Revision 7

Posted on November 29, 2020 by Mike McCann

While I do expect that announcement will be made this week, I did want to make another attempt at where things may end up based on other possibilities out there that seem reasonable.

It sounds like Daytona will keep their team and the Charlotte Stone Crabs will be out.  That will put the Rays Low A team in Charleston, which isn’t unreasonable as they were there from 1997-2004 and will need a new affiliate since the Yankees have an FSL team.

At the High A level, it’s definitely tougher to figure out without more concrete information, but I put Asheville with the Marlins based on the Ballpark Digest speculation and kept the Rays in the Midwest League in Beloit since there weren’t any other teams in that league to choose from.  Previously I had removed Kane County since I added Quad Cities back in, but I decided that since we seem to be short a Mid-Atlantic League team that it could make sense to put Lake County in the MAL and add Kane County back in the MWL.  That makes Lake County a little bit of an outlier, but it was already an outlier in the Midwest League.  So I put the Royals in Kane County and the Braves in Wilmington.

I also removed Boise from the Northwest League, replacing them with the Tri-City Dust Devils and moving the Rockies to Spokane and Angels to Tri-City.

The other interesting piece is that Fresno needs to decide if they want a California League team since they aren’t happy about being demoted from AAA.  So right now it looks like Fresno is in line for the Rockies Low A affiliate, but if they refuse, then I would expect the Rockies to remain in Lancaster.

But even after all of this, I’m sure that there are some things here that are completely off from what will be decided and we can all discuss how we could come up with something better than what MLB decided.

So let me know what you think of the latest version.  I’ll keep making updates when new information is available.

This is my best attempt at piecing together the leaked information with some attempt at logic and keeping as much in place from 2019 as reasonable.  Red denotes changes.  Blue denotes ownership stake.  Question marks are things I made up.

So according to this Minor League Baseball would look something like this:

International League (AAA)
Buffalo Bisons – Blue Jays
Charlotte Knights – White Sox
Columbus Clippers – Indians
Durham Bulls – Rays
Gwinnett Stripers – Braves
Indianapolis Indians – Pirates
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Marlins
Lehigh Valley IronPigs – Phillies
Louisville Bats – Reds
Nashville Sounds – Rangers Brewers? Move from Pacific Coast League?
Norfolk Tides – Orioles
Worcester Red Sox (2019 Pawtucket Red Sox) – Red Sox
Rochester Red Wings – Twins Nationals
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders – Yankees
Syracuse Mets – Mets
Toledo Mud Hens – Tigers

Pacific Coast League (AAA)
Albuquerque Isotopes – Rockies
El Paso Chihuahuas – Padres
Fresno Grizzlies – Nationals – Move to California League (Low A)
Iowa Cubs – Cubs
Las Vegas Aviators – A’s
Memphis Redbirds – Cardinals
Oklahoma City Dodgers – Dodgers
Omaha Storm Chasers – Royals
Reno Aces – Diamondbacks
Round Rock Express – Astros Rangers?
Sacramento River Cats – Giants
Salt Lake Bees – Angels
San Antonio Missions – Brewers – Move to Texas League (AA)
St. Paul Saints – Twins
Sugar Land Skeeters – Astros
Tacoma Rainiers – Mariners
Wichita Wind Surge (2019 New Orleans Baby Cakes) – Marlins – Move to Texas League (AA)

Eastern League (AA)
Akron RubberDucks – Indians
Altoona Curve – Pirates
Binghamton Rumble Ponies – Mets
Bowie Baysox – Orioles
Erie SeaWolves – Tigers
Harrisburg Senators – Nationals
Hartford Yard Goats – Rockies
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Blue Jays
Portland Sea Dogs – Red Sox
Reading Fightin Phils – Phillies
Richmond Flying Squirrels – Giants
Somerset Patriots – Yankees
Trenton Thunder – Yankees

Southern League (AA)
Biloxi Shuckers – Brewers
Birmingham Barons – White Sox
Bowling Green Hot Rods? – Reds?
Chattanooga Lookouts – Reds
Jackson Generals – Diamondbacks
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Marlins Move to International League (AAA)
Mississippi Braves – Braves
Montgomery Biscuits – Rays
Pensacola Blue Wahoos – Twins Marlins
Rocket City Trash Pandas (2019 Mobile BayBears) – Angels
Tennessee Smokies – Cubs

Texas League (AA)
Amarillo Sod Poodles – Padres
Arkansas Travelers – Mariners
Corpus Christi Hooks – Astros
Frisco RoughRiders – Rangers
Midland RockHounds – A’s
Northwest Arkansas Naturals – Royals
San Antonio Missions – Diamondbacks?
Springfield Cardinals – Cardinals
Tulsa Drillers – Dodgers
Wichita Wind Surge – Twins?

Carolina League Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Aberdeen IronBirds? – Orioles
Asheville Tourists? – Marlins?
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)?
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)?
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)?
Frederick Keys – Orioles
Fredericksburg Nationals (2019 Potomac Nationals) – Nationals
Greensboro Grasshoppers? – Pirates
Hickory Crawdads? – Rangers
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Jersey Shore BlueClaws? – Phillies
Lake County Captains? – Indians
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)?
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs Move to South Atlantic League (Low A)?
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals Braves?
Winston-Salem Dash – White Sox

Midwest League (Low A) (High A)
Beloit Snappers – A’s Rays?
Bowling Green Hot Rods – Rays Move to Southern League (AA)?
Burlington Bees – Angels
Cedar Rapids Kernels – Twins
Clinton Lumber Kings – Marlins
Dayton Dragons – Reds
Fort Wayne TinCaps – Padres
Great Lakes Loons – Dodgers
Kane County Cougars – Diamondbacks Royals?
Lake County Captains – Indians Move to Mid-Atlantic League?
Lansing Lugnuts – Blue Jays
Peoria Chiefs – Cardinals
Quad Cities River Bandits – Astros
South Bend Cubs – Cubs
West Michigan Whitecaps – Tigers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Brewers

Northwest League (A – Short Season) (High A)
Boise Hawks – Rockies
Eugene Emeralds – Cubs Giants?
Everett AquaSox – Mariners
Hillsboro Hops – Diamondbacks
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes – Giants
Spokane Indians – Rangers Rockies?
Tri-City Dust Devils – Padres Angels?
Vancouver Canadians – Blue Jays A’s

California League (High A)(Low A)
Fresno Grizzlies – Rockies?
Lake Elsinore Storm – Padres
Lancaster JetHawks – Rockies
Modesto Nuts – Mariners
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – Dodgers
San Bernardino Inland Empire 66ers – Angels
San Jose Giants – Giants
Stockton Ports – A’s
Visalia Rawhide – Diamondbacks

Florida State League (High A)(Low A)
Bradenton Marauders – Pirates
Charlotte Stone Crabs – Rays
Clearwater Threshers – Phillies
Daytona Tortugas- Reds
Dunedin Blue Jays – Blue Jays
Florida Fire Frogs – Braves
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels – Twins
Jupiter Hammerheads – Marlins
Lakeland Flying Tigers – Tigers
Palm Beach Cardinals – Cardinals
St. Lucie Mets – Mets
Tampa Tarpons – Yankees

South Atlantic League (Low A)
Asheville Tourists – Rockies Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)?
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants Royals?
Carolina Mudcats? – Brewers
Charleston Riverdogs – Yankees Rays?
Columbia Fireflies – Mets Nationals?
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)?
Greenville Drive – Red Sox
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)?
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)?
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lexington Legends – Royals
Lynchburg Hillcats? – Indians
Myrtle Beach Pelicans? – Cubs
Rome Braves – Braves
West Virginia Power – Mariners

NY-Penn League (A – Short Season)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)?
Auburn Doubledays
Batavia Muckdogs
Brooklyn Cyclones – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Hudson Valley Renegades – Move to Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Lowell Spinners
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Norwich Sea Unicorns
State College Spikes
Staten Island Yankees
Tri-City ValleyCats
Vermont Lake Monsters
West Virginia Black Bears
Williamsport Crosscutters

Appalachian League (Rookie – Short Season)
Bluefield Blue Jays
Bristol Pirates
Burlington Royals
Danville Braves
Elizabethton Twins
Greeneville Reds
Johnson City Cardinals
Kingsport Mets
Princeton Rays
Pulaski Yankees

Pioneer League (Rookie – Short Season)
Billings Mustangs
Grand Junction Rockies
Great Falls Voyagers
Idaho Falls Chukars
Missoula PaddleHeads
Ogden Raptors
Orem Owlz
Rocky Mountain Vibes

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Update on 2021 Minor League Baseball – Revision 6

Posted on November 26, 2020 by Mike McCann

While I do enjoy putting together different potential scenarios for how Minor League Baseball will look next year, I am hoping that their plans are made public early next week as speculated because there are still so many unknowns that it seems like a futile exercise to do any more conjecture.  Now with that being said, Baseball America reported that there will be three High A leagues instead of the four that we thought.  So while it sounds like the Carolina League name will be discarded in favor of the more geographically correct Mid-Atlantic League, I’ll update my structure one more time to indicate one possibility of how things may look.  And if any other information comes out this weekend, I will incorporate that as well.

I will also incorporate the speculation from Ballpark Digest that the Astros will be getting a Midwest League team.  To do that, I’ll assume the Astros stay at Quad Cities and Kane County is the odd man out.  To break up the Mid-Atlantic League and South Atlantic League, there isn’t a clear distinction between the two in this version although I tried to keep it as geographically separated as possible, but I ended up with Delmarva and Lynchburg as SAL outliers.  While Delmarva is further north and Lynchburg is too far west, all of the teams closer to the coast end up as part of that league as it now includes Down East, Carolina Mudcats and Fayetteville.  Now if the Orioles were to do something like drop Bowie, making Aberdeen their AA team and Delmarva their High A team, things could fit much better.  And some other team would get added back to the South Atlantic League also, like Chattanooga as an example.

The other struggles are where the Marlins and Rays High A affiliates would fall, so I listed both in two places (Beloit and West Virginia).  I’m still assuming that the West Virginia Black Bears have a Mid-Atlantic team with no obvious affiliation, although that could also make sense as Trenton too.  And really there are many other assumptions that could be wrong that cause this entire thing to fall apart.

So let me know what you think of the latest version.  I’ll keep making updates when new information is available.

This is my best attempt at piecing together the leaked information with some attempt at logic and keeping as much in place from 2019 as reasonable.  Red denotes changes.  Blue denotes ownership stake.  Question marks are things I made up.

So according to this Minor League Baseball would look something like this:

International League (AAA)
Buffalo Bisons – Blue Jays
Charlotte Knights – White Sox
Columbus Clippers – Indians
Durham Bulls – Rays
Gwinnett Stripers – Braves
Indianapolis Indians – Pirates
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Marlins
Lehigh Valley IronPigs – Phillies
Louisville Bats – Reds
Nashville Sounds – Rangers Brewers?
Norfolk Tides – Orioles
Worcester Red Sox (2019 Pawtucket Red Sox) – Red Sox
Rochester Red Wings – Twins Nationals
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders – Yankees
Syracuse Mets – Mets
Toledo Mud Hens – Tigers

Pacific Coast League (AAA)
Albuquerque Isotopes – Rockies
El Paso Chihuahuas – Padres
Fresno Grizzlies – Nationals – Move to California League (Low A)
Iowa Cubs – Cubs
Las Vegas Aviators – A’s
Memphis Redbirds – Cardinals
Oklahoma City Dodgers – Dodgers
Omaha Storm Chasers – Royals
Reno Aces – Diamondbacks
Round Rock Express – Astros Rangers?
Sacramento River Cats – Giants
Salt Lake Bees – Angels
San Antonio Missions – Brewers – Move to Texas League (AA)
St. Paul Saints – Twins
Sugar Land Skeeters – Astros
Tacoma Rainiers – Mariners
Wichita Wind Surge (2019 New Orleans Baby Cakes) – Marlins – Move to Texas League (AA)

Eastern League (AA)
Akron RubberDucks – Indians
Altoona Curve – Pirates
Binghamton Rumble Ponies – Mets
Bowie Baysox – Orioles
Erie SeaWolves – Tigers
Harrisburg Senators – Nationals
Hartford Yard Goats – Rockies
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Blue Jays
Portland Sea Dogs – Red Sox
Reading Fightin Phils – Phillies
Richmond Flying Squirrels – Giants
Somerset Patriots – Yankees
Trenton Thunder – Yankees

Southern League (AA)
Biloxi Shuckers – Brewers
Birmingham Barons – White Sox
Bowling Green Hot Rods? – Reds?
Chattanooga Lookouts – Reds
Jackson Generals – Diamondbacks
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Marlins Move to International League – AAA
Mississippi Braves – Braves
Montgomery Biscuits – Rays
Pensacola Blue Wahoos – Twins Marlins
Rocket City Trash Pandas (2019 Mobile BayBears) – Angels
Tennessee Smokies – Cubs

Texas League (AA)
Amarillo Sod Poodles – Padres
Arkansas Travelers – Mariners
Corpus Christi Hooks – Astros
Frisco RoughRiders – Rangers
Midland RockHounds – A’s
Northwest Arkansas Naturals – Royals
San Antonio Missions – Diamondbacks?
Springfield Cardinals – Cardinals
Tulsa Drillers – Dodgers
Wichita Wind Surge – Twins?

Carolina League Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Aberdeen IronBirds? – Orioles
Asheville Tourists? – Braves?
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers Move to South Atlantic League?
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers Move to South Atlantic League?
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros Move to South Atlantic League?
Frederick Keys – Orioles
Fredericksburg Nationals (2019 Potomac Nationals) – Nationals
Greensboro Grasshoppers? – Pirates
Hickory Crawdads? – Rangers
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Jersey Shore BlueClaws? – Phillies
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians Move to South Atlantic League?
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs Move to South Atlantic League?
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox
West Virginia Black Bears? – Marlins? Rays?
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals
Winston-Salem Dash – White Sox

Midwest League (Low A) (High A)
Beloit Snappers – A’s Marlins? Rays?
Bowling Green Hot Rods – Rays – Move to Southern League (AA)?
Burlington Bees – Angels
Cedar Rapids Kernels – Twins
Clinton Lumber Kings – Marlins
Dayton Dragons – Reds
Fort Wayne TinCaps – Padres
Great Lakes Loons – Dodgers
Kane County Cougars – Diamondbacks
Lake County Captains – Indians
Lansing Lugnuts – Blue Jays
Peoria Chiefs – Cardinals
Quad Cities River Bandits – Astros
South Bend Cubs – Cubs
West Michigan Whitecaps – Tigers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Brewers

Northwest League (A – Short Season) (High A)
Boise Hawks – Rockies
Eugene Emeralds – Cubs Giants?
Everett AquaSox – Mariners
Hillsboro Hops – Diamondbacks
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes – Giants
Spokane Indians – Rangers Angels?
Tri-City Dust Devils – Padres
Vancouver Canadians – Blue Jays A’s

California League (High A)(Low A)
Fresno Grizzlies – Rockies?
Lake Elsinore Storm – Padres
Lancaster JetHawks – Rockies
Modesto Nuts – Mariners
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – Dodgers
San Bernardino Inland Empire 66ers – Angels
San Jose Giants – Giants
Stockton Ports – A’s
Visalia Rawhide – Diamondbacks

Florida State League (High A)(Low A)
Bradenton Marauders – Pirates
Charlotte Stone Crabs – Rays
Clearwater Threshers – Phillies
Daytona Tortugas- Reds
Dunedin Blue Jays – Blue Jays
Florida Fire Frogs – Braves
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels – Twins
Jupiter Hammerheads – Marlins
Lakeland Flying Tigers – Tigers
Palm Beach Cardinals – Cardinals
St. Lucie Mets – Mets
Tampa Tarpons – Yankees

South Atlantic League (Low A)
Asheville Tourists – Rockies Move to Mid-Atlantic League?
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants Royals?
Carolina Mudcats? – Brewers
Charleston Riverdogs – Yankees Reds?
Columbia Fireflies – Mets Nationals?
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates Move to Mid-Atlantic League?
Greenville Drive – Red Sox
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers Move to Mid-Atlantic League?
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies Move to Mid-Atlantic League?
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lexington Legends – Royals
Lynchburg Hillcats? – Indians
Myrtle Beach Pelicans? – Cubs
Rome Braves – Braves
West Virginia Power – Mariners

NY-Penn League (A – Short Season)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Move to Mid-Atlantic League?
Auburn Doubledays
Batavia Muckdogs
Brooklyn Cyclones – Move to Mid-Atlantic League
Hudson Valley Renegades – Move to Mid-Atlantic League
Lowell Spinners
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Norwich Sea Unicorns
State College Spikes
Staten Island Yankees
Tri-City ValleyCats
Vermont Lake Monsters
West Virginia Black Bears – Move to Mid-Atlantic League?
Williamsport Crosscutters

Appalachian League (Rookie – Short Season)
Bluefield Blue Jays
Bristol Pirates
Burlington Royals
Danville Braves
Elizabethton Twins
Greeneville Reds
Johnson City Cardinals
Kingsport Mets
Princeton Rays
Pulaski Yankees

Pioneer League (Rookie – Short Season)
Billings Mustangs
Grand Junction Rockies
Great Falls Voyagers
Idaho Falls Chukars
Missoula PaddleHeads
Ogden Raptors
Orem Owlz
Rocky Mountain Vibes

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Update on 2021 Minor League Baseball – Rochester Red Wings are Nationals AAA Affiliate

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Mike McCann

It was announced that the Rochester Red Wings will be the Nationals AAA affiliate.  This is not a surprising development given all of the other changes, but it does mean that Richmond will likely remain in the AA Eastern League.  Other Nationals affiliates are still in play since Hagerstown was on the Low A contraction list and there hasn’t been any announcement on the other three Nationals affiliates.  Since this will only remove a question mark from my list, I’ll refrain from showing it again today.

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , | 31 Comments