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.

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Update on 2021 Minor League Baseball – Revision 5

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Mike McCann

It was announced that the Sugar Land Skeeters would become the Astros AAA affiliate, which aligns with the previous reports that they would be added from the Atlantic League, but reports also mention that the Astros will have an ownership stake.  I’ve been trying to figure out if the new system would mean more teams would have ownership stakes because MLB now has so much control, or if fewer teams would because there is less reason to force a team to remain your affiliate as was done when teams purchased Carolina League teams because they didn’t want a California League affiliate.

At the AAA level, I decided to make Nashville the Brewers AAA affiliate and put them in the International League because the desire to keep Memphis and Nashville together is likely outweighed by the distance St. Paul is away from everything else.  I mentioned before that three leagues at AAA probably made the most sense, but thinking about it more, it also might not be that crazy to have a 20 team International League that includes Nashville, Memphis, Omaha, Iowa, and St. Paul and a 10 team Pacific Coast League.  If you had an unbalanced schedule where some teams only meet once a year (or even one home and home series), that’s not too unreasonable.  I am assuming that Sugar Land is going in the PCL, but I haven’t seen anything confirming that.

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

Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Aberdeen IronBirds? – Orioles
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
Fredericksburg Nationals (2019 Potomac Nationals) – Nationals
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Jersey Shore BlueClaws? – Phillies
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals

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 Marlins?
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 Astros?
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants Royals?
Carolina Mudcats? – Brewers
Charleston Riverdogs – Yankees Reds?
Columbia Fireflies – Mets Move to Carolina League?
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates Move to Carolina League?
Greenville Drive – Red Sox Move to Carolina League?
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies Move to High A Mid-Atlantic League?
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lexington Legends – Royals
Lynchburg Hillcats? – Indians
Myrtle Beach Pelicans? – Cubs
Rome Braves – Braves
Salem Red Sox? – Red Sox
West Virginia Black Bears? – Nationals?
West Virginia Power – Pirates

NY-Penn League (A – Short Season)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Move to Class A
Auburn Doubledays
Batavia Muckdogs
Brooklyn Cyclones – Move to Class A
Hudson Valley Renegades – Move to Class 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 – Move to Class A
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 4

Posted on November 13, 2020 by Mike McCann

Second day in a row with no new announcements.  Maybe because MLB is trying to keep tighter containment on this information.  But within the next three weeks, I would expect that all of the details are announced.

But until then, I decided to take a different approach to Class A.  Originally, my approach was to keep as many teams at their current level, but based on some rumors, I think that it may be better to try to keep more affiliates the same.  I did break from that convention where I thought it made more sense, like putting the Rockies Low A team in the California League rather than the South Atlantic League.  I also took this as an opportunity to create a true Carolina League, but some options can be swapped between there and the South Atlantic League.  But this is a fun exercise to see another way that things may end up.

I dislike not having West Virginia as a Pirates affiliate most, but Nationals isn’t too much of a stretch.  I could have gotten more creative and added Trenton back in somewhere, but that really complicates things.

I also made AAA two even teamed leagues by putting St. Paul in the International League.  Unless you make three leagues, which you could do pretty cleanly by time zone, there’s no obvious way to make 16 and 14 team leagues.

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
Norfolk Tides – Orioles
Worcester Red Sox (2019 Pawtucket Red Sox) – Red Sox
Rochester Red Wings – Twins Nationals?
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders – Yankees
St. Paul Saints – Twins
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
Nashville Sounds – Rangers
Oklahoma City Dodgers – Dodgers
Omaha Storm Chasers – Royals
Reno Aces – Diamondbacks
Round Rock Express – Astros Brewers?
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 (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 (High A)
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers Move to South Atlantic League?
Columbia Fireflies? – Braves?
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros
Frederick Keys – Orioles
Greensboro Grasshoppers? – Pirates
Greenville Drive? – Red Sox
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians Move to South Atlantic League?
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs Move to South Atlantic League?
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox Move to South Atlantic League?
Winston-Salem Dash – White Sox

Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Aberdeen IronBirds? – Orioles
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
Fredericksburg Nationals (2019 Potomac Nationals) – Nationals
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Jersey Shore BlueClaws? – Phillies
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals

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 Marlins?
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 Astros?
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants Royals?
Carolina Mudcats? – Brewers
Charleston Riverdogs – Yankees Reds?
Columbia Fireflies – Mets Move to Carolina League?
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates Move to Carolina League?
Greenville Drive – Red Sox Move to Carolina League?
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies Move to High A Mid-Atlantic League?
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lexington Legends – Royals
Lynchburg Hillcats? – Indians
Myrtle Beach Pelicans? – Cubs
Rome Braves – Braves
Salem Red Sox? – Red Sox
West Virginia Black Bears? – Nationals?
West Virginia Power – Pirates

NY-Penn League (A – Short Season)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Move to Class A
Auburn Doubledays
Batavia Muckdogs
Brooklyn Cyclones – Move to Class A
Hudson Valley Renegades – Move to Class 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 – Move to Class A
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 – November 11

Posted on November 11, 2020 by Mike McCann

News came out that the Rochester Red Wings would no longer be a Twins affiliate, so that falls in line with the information that St. Paul would be gaining a AAA team and it would become the Twins affiliate.  This appears to set up the Nationals as the most logical replacement in Rochester, although people in Richmond are optimistic that this could mean that the Nationals AAA team is moved there.  I suppose it’s possible if they could get a new stadium deal promised (which they’ve been working on for years), but then the interesting question would become which team would drop down to AA.  Rochester would be the odd man out, but you can’t assume anything.

Since there are no changes to the previous speculative scenario, I’ll skip showing it today.

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Update on 2021 Minor League Baseball – Revision 3

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Mike McCann

Today the Mets announced that their minor league affiliates would be Syracuse, Binghamton, Brooklyn, and St. Lucie.  It was previously suspected that Binghamton may be contracted, but now it appears that they are remaining in the Eastern League as the Mets AA affiliate.  And that would put Brooklyn as their High A affiliate in the Mid-Atlantic League.  Since Binghamton is in, I will assume that means that the Tri-City ValleyCats didn’t make the cut for now as I need to remove one team from the list.

And as much as I’m tempted to create a true Carolina League, I’ll leave the list alone until there’s at least one piece in place that would create a different makeup.

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
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
Nashville Sounds – Rangers
Oklahoma City Dodgers – Dodgers
Omaha Storm Chasers – Royals
Reno Aces – Diamondbacks
Round Rock Express – Astros Brewers?
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 (High A)
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers Move to South Atlantic League?
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros
Frederick Keys – Orioles
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians Marlins?
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs Braves?
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox
Winston-Salem Dash – White Sox

Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Orioles
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
Fredericksburg Nationals (2019 Potomac Nationals) – Nationals
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies
West Virginia Black Bears – Pirates
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals Move to South Atlantic League?

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
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 TBD
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants TBD
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers
Charleston Riverdogs – Yankees TBD
Columbia Fireflies – Mets TBD
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates TBD
Greenville Drive – Red Sox
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies Move to High A Mid-Atlantic League?
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lexington Legends – Royals
Rome Braves – Braves
West Virginia Power – Pirates
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals

NY-Penn League (A – Short Season)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Move to Class A
Auburn Doubledays
Batavia Muckdogs
Brooklyn Cyclones – Move to Eastern League (AA)
Hudson Valley Renegades – Move to Class A
Lowell Spinners
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Norwich Sea Unicorns
State College Spikes
Staten Island Yankees
Tri-City ValleyCats – Move to Class A
Vermont Lake Monsters
West Virginia Black Bears – Move to Class A
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 2

Posted on November 9, 2020 by Mike McCann

Based on a comment, I found out that the Vancouver Canadians will be the A’s High A affiliate in the Northwest League.  So I removed my question mark on that one.

I didn’t make any other changes to the High A – Low A jumble since I have no idea what will happen and would just be more random guesses.  Although I did reorganize it to put the High A teams above the Low A teams, rather than keeping the old structure and relabeling.

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
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
Nashville Sounds – Rangers
Oklahoma City Dodgers – Dodgers
Omaha Storm Chasers – Royals
Reno Aces – Diamondbacks
Round Rock Express – Astros Brewers?
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
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
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 (High A)
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers Move to South Atlantic League?
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros
Frederick Keys – Orioles
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians Marlins?
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs Braves?
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox
Winston-Salem Dash – White Sox

Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Orioles
Fredericksburg Nationals (2019 Potomac Nationals) – Nationals
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies?
Tri-City ValleyCats – Mets?
West Virginia Black Bears – Pirates
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals Move to South Atlantic League?

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
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 TBD
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants TBD
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers
Charleston Riverdogs – Yankees TBD
Columbia Fireflies – Mets TBD
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates TBD
Greenville Drive – Red Sox
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies Move to High A Mid-Atlantic League?
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lexington Legends – Royals
Rome Braves – Braves
West Virginia Power – Pirates
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals

NY-Penn League (A – Short Season)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Move to Class A
Auburn Doubledays
Batavia Muckdogs
Brooklyn Cyclones – Move to Eastern League (AA)
Hudson Valley Renegades – Move to Class A
Lowell Spinners
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Norwich Sea Unicorns
State College Spikes
Staten Island Yankees
Tri-City ValleyCats – Move to Class A
Vermont Lake Monsters
West Virginia Black Bears – Move to Class A
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 1

Posted on November 8, 2020 by Mike McCann

Based on some comments I received and the Yankees press release, I’m going to make some updates to the list.  This is all speculation, so I might as well come up with some new scenarios.

In the Yankees press release where they announced that they were adding Somerset as their AA affiliate and Hudson Valley as their High A affiliate, it said that Trenton would be offered Somerset’s membership in the Atlantic League.  So I will remove Trenton from my list and assume that Erie will remain.  Other interesting items in the release mention that Staten Island could be joining the Atlantic League, and there is no mention of Pulaski, who appear to be sticking with the Appalachian League’s transition to a college wood bat league.  It now appears that the MLB agreements with some of the independent leagues means that they are going to find it easier to switch teams between the affiliated and independent leagues.

I’ll assume that Jersey Shore remains a Phillies affiliate, which means they would need to move to the High A Mid-Atlantic League since the Phillies Low A affiliate will be Clearwater.  To balance things out, I’ll move the Wilmington Blue Rocks to the South Atlantic League where they can remain a Royals affiliate.  This also assumes that the Tri-City ValleyCats are staying with an affiliated league, and if so, would make sense as the Mets affiliate.

I’ll also assume that the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers remain a Brewers affiliate, which I didn’t do previously because the Carolina Mudcats are owned by the Brewers, so the only way to make that work is to move the Mudcats to the South Atlantic League.  As an offset, I returned the Lynchburg Hillcats to the Carolina League, but they wouldn’t remain an Indians affiliate as the Indians High A affiliate would be Lake County.

I also left the South Atlantic League TBDs since right now it would be a wild guess to place the Astros, Cubs, Indians, Nationals and Reds, as none of them were previously with the open teams (unless maybe if I go back a ways I could find some connection).

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

I was also thinking about my rules to visit each team and I previously decided that if a teams changes levels that it was a part of a different franchise and wouldn’t count if I saw the previous instance.  But with all this movement, I’m thinking that if a team stays in the same level or league, that it would be considered the same.  I don’t think that I would need to revisit every team that was part of a league that was reclassified.  Or maybe it would just be more fun to start over and try to see them all again!

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
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
Nashville Sounds – Rangers
Oklahoma City Dodgers – Dodgers
Omaha Storm Chasers – Royals
Reno Aces – Diamondbacks
Round Rock Express – Astros Brewers?
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
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
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?

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

Carolina League (High A)
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers Move to South Atlantic League?
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros
Frederick Keys – Orioles
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians Marlins?
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs Braves?
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox
Winston-Salem Dash – White Sox

Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Orioles
Fredericksburg Nationals (2019 Potomac Nationals) – Nationals
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies?
Tri-City ValleyCats – Mets?
West Virginia Black Bears – Pirates
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals Move to South Atlantic League?

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

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
Lansing Lugnuts – Blue Jays
Peoria Chiefs – Cardinals
Quad Cities River Bandits – Astros
South Bend Cubs – Cubs
West Michigan Whitecaps – Tigers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Brewers

South Atlantic League (Low A)
Asheville Tourists – Rockies TBD
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants TBD
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers
Charleston Riverdogs – Yankees TBD
Columbia Fireflies – Mets TBD
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates TBD
Greenville Drive – Red Sox
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies Move to High A Mid-Atlantic League?
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lexington Legends – Royals
Rome Braves – Braves
West Virginia Power – Pirates
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals

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

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?

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

Posted on November 7, 2020 by Mike McCann

While the agreement between Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball expired on September 30, there still hasn’t been any official announcements about what the teams or leagues will look like in the future.  But I’ll provide some information that I found and show how that would make the leagues look next year.

The Appalachian League and NY-Penn League look like they will become college wood-bat leagues, which MiLB officially announced for the Appalachian League.  I have not seen anything about the future of the Pioneer League.

This new information comes from Ballpark Digest and Baseball America.

The Class A level would shift leagues between High A and Low A, so High A would include the Carolina League, Mid-Atlantic League (new), Midwest League, and Northwest League and Low A would include the California League, Florida Status League, and South Atlantic League.  It looks like this is an attempt to have a better geographical spread at the High A level than the Low A level.

At the AAA level, Jacksonville, St. Paul and Sugar Land will be added and Fresno, San Antonio, and Wichita will be moved to a lower level.  I can’t tell how the affiliations will end up, but I assume that one team will move between the International League and Pacific Coast League to have two teams with even numbers.

Reports came out that the Marlins will have Jacksonville and Pensacola as their top two affiliates, and the Yankees will add Somerset (AA) and Hudson Valley (High A) as affiliates.  Since Somerset was not on the previous list, and there is no information about which team was removed, I left Pulaski off this version of the list.

I also added Beloit back in and removed Quad Cities as Beloit is in the process of building a new ballpark.

I tried to figure out how AAA and AA appear now, but I don’t have any information about how teams will be realigned for the A leagues, so I’ll make some guesses.  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
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
Nashville Sounds – Rangers
Oklahoma City Dodgers – Dodgers
Omaha Storm Chasers – Royals
Reno Aces – Diamondbacks
Round Rock Express – Astros Brewers?
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
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets
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 Tigers?

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?

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

Carolina League (High A)
Carolina Mudcats – Brewers
Down East Wood Ducks – Rangers
Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Astros
Frederick Keys – Orioles
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians (Move to South Atlantic League?)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Cubs Braves?
Salem Red Sox – Red Sox
Winston-Salem Dash – White Sox

Mid-Atlantic League (High A)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Orioles
Fredericksburg Nationals (2019 Potomac Nationals) – Nationals
Hudson Valley Renegades – Yankees
Tri-City ValleyCats – Mets?
West Virginia Black Bears – Pirates
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals Phillies?

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

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
Lansing Lugnuts – Blue Jays
Peoria Chiefs – Cardinals
Quad Cities River Bandits – Astros
South Bend Cubs – Cubs
West Michigan Whitecaps – Tigers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Brewers Marlins?

South Atlantic League (Low A)
Asheville Tourists – Rockies TBD
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants TBD
Charleston Riverdogs – Yankees TBD
Columbia Fireflies – Mets TBD
Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pirates TBD
Greenville Drive – Red Sox
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals
Hickory Crawdads – Rangers
Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Phillies TBD
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – White Sox
Lexington Legends – Royals
Lynchburg Hillcats – Indians
Rome Braves – Braves
West Virginia Power – Pirates

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

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?

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 – Move to Class A?

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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Lakewood Changes Name to Jersey Shore BlueClaws

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Mike McCann

The Lakewood BlueClaws have changed their name to the Jersey Shore BlueClaws.  I’ve never been a fan of team names that contain a region instead of a city, but I’m surprised that they didn’t make this change earlier since Lakewood is a smaller minor league city.  I’m also waiting to see how the Minor League Baseball changes play out before updating the website for 2021.  The Appalachian League will become a college wood bat league, but other changes have yet to be announced.

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Orioles Caravan at McDaniel College – Sunday, February 9, 2020

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Mike McCann

I went to the Orioles Caravan last Sunday at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD, as they had current Orioles Rio Ruiz and Dwight Smith Jr, and former Oriole and Hall of Famer Eddie Murray signing autographs.  I’m glad that the Orioles started doing a caravan with free autographs because most teams seem to either do nothing or have a paid event for fans.

I arrived about 75 minutes before it started, which was an hour long autograph session from 2-3.  I was very disappointed to hear them announce that they were creating three separate lines for the autographs.  I was hoping that one of my rewards for arriving early would be to meet all three players, but now that was in jeopardy.

When they started the event and broke up the single line into three lines, it had the exact impact that I expected; everyone stayed in the line for Eddie Murray and the other two lines were pretty much empty.  Once the lines started moving, I asked someone near me to hold my place in line so I could get autographs from Ruiz and Smith.  I figured that I should take advantage of the short lines rather than try to get those two at the end.

That turned out to be a very smart move because at 2:55, and they made it clear that they were stopping at 3:00, I was a few steps away from Eddie Murray and the other two lines were pretty long.  I did manage to get an Eddie Murray autograph just under the gun, but as I was leaving around 3:10, I saw that they were still signing.  I’m most disappointed for the fans who didn’t get the autograph that they wanted because they didn’t arrive early enough and focused on just meeting Eddie Murray.  I think that they could have announced earlier that fans couldn’t have a selfie and autograph with the players (at least not Murray), and they should have announced that each person could have one autograph and had staff handing Murray the items so that it could move quicker.  I know that everyone wants a few minutes to talk to him, but I think that it’s more important that more fans get the opportunity for an autograph.  And I suspect that many fans would agree with me.

So while I was concerned for a while that I wouldn’t meet all three players, I did leave victorious.  And now I know that I need to arrive earlier next year.

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