MLB Off-Topic

[TripleCrown9]

Today was Minor League Affiliate Restructuring Day.

Each team will have 4 affiliates next year (AAA, AA, High-A, Low-A), which reduces the total number of Minor League teams from 160 to 120.

Arizona

Spoiler

AAA: Reno Aces
AA: Amarillo Sod Poodles (formerly with San Diego)
H-A: Hillsboro Hops
L-A: Visalia Rawhide

Atlanta

Spoiler

AAA: Gwinnett Stripers
AA: Mississippi Braves
H-A: Rome Braves
L-A: Augusta GreenJackets (formerly with San Francisco)

Baltimore

Spoiler

AAA: Norfolk Tides
AA: Bowie Baysox
H-A: Aberdeen IronBirds
L-A: Delmarva Shorebirds

Boston

Spoiler

AAA: Worcester Red Sox (previously Pawtucket Red Sox)
AA: Portland Sea Dogs
H-A: Greenville Drive
L-A: Salem Red Sox

Chicago (NL)

Spoiler

AAA: Iowa Cubs
AA: Tennessee Smokies
H-A: South Bend Cubs
L-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Chicago (AL)

Spoiler

AAA: Charlotte Knights
AA: Birmingham Barons
H-A: Winston-Salem Dash
L-A: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Cincinnati

Spoiler

AAA: Louisville Bats
AA: Chattanooga Lookouts
H-A: Dayton Dragons
L-A: Daytona Tortugas

Cleveland

Spoiler

AAA: Columbus Clippers
AA: Akron RubberDucks
H-A: Lake County Captains
L-A: Lynchburg Hillcats

Colorado

Spoiler

AAA: Albuquerque Isotopes
AA: Hartford Yard Goats
H-A: Spokane Indians (formerly with Texas)
L-A: TBD

Detroit

Spoiler

AAA: Toledo Mud Hens
AA: Erie Seawolves
H-A: West Michigan Whitecaps
L-A: Lakeland Flying Tigers

Houston

Spoiler

AAA: Sugar Land Skeeters
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks
H-A: Asheville Tourists (formerly with Colorado)
L-A: Fayateville Woodpeckers

Kansas City

Spoiler

AAA: Omaha Storm Chasers
AA: Northwest Arkansas Naturals
H-A: Quad Cities River Bandits (formerly with Houston)
L-A: Columbia Fireflies (formerly with Mets)

Angels

Spoiler

AAA: Salt Lake Bees
AA: Rocket City Trash Pandas
H-A: Tri-City ValleyCats (formerly with Houston)
L-A: Inland Empire 66ers

Dodgers

Spoiler

AAA: Oklahoma City Dodgers
AA: Tulsa Drillers
H-A: Great Lakes Loons
L-A: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Miami

Spoiler

AAA: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
AA: Pensacola Blue Wahoos
H-A: Beloit Snappers
L-A: Jupiter Hammerheads

Milwaukee

Spoiler

AAA: Nashville Sounds (formerly with Texas)
AA: Biloxi Shuckers
H-A: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
L-A: Carolina Mudcats

Minnesota

Spoiler

AAA: St. Paul Saints (first year affiliate)
AA: Wichita Wind Surge
H-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels
L-A: Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

Mets

Spoiler

AAA: Syracuse Mets
AA: Binghamton Rumble Ponies
H-A: Brooklyn Cyclones
L-A: St. Lucie Mets

Yankees

Spoiler

AAA: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
AA: Somerset Patriots (first year affiliate)
H-A: Hudson Valley Renegades (formerly with Tampa Bay)
L-A: Tampa Tarpons

Oakland

Spoiler

AAA: Las Vegas Aviators
AA: Midland RockHounds
H-A: Lansing Lugnuts (formerly with Toronto)
L-A: Stockton Ports

Philadelphia

Spoiler

AAA:Lehigh Vally IronPigs
AA: Reading Fightin' Phils
H-A: Jersey Shore BlueClaws
L-A: Clearwater Threshers

Pittsburgh

Spoiler

AAA: Indianapolis Indians
AA: Altoona Curve
H-A: Greensboro Grasshoppers
L-A: Bradenton Marauders

San Diego

Spoiler

AAA: El Paso Chihuahuas
AA: San Antonio Missions (formerly AAA with Milwaukee)
H-A: Fort Wayne TinCaps
L-A: Lake Elsinore Storm

San Francisco

Spoiler

AAA: Sacramento River Cats
AA: Richmond Flying Squirrels
H-A: Eugene Emeralds (formerly with Cubs)
L-A: San Jose Giants

Seattle

Spoiler

AAA: Tacoma Rainiers
AA: Arkansas Travelers
H-A: Everett AquaSox
L-A: Modesto Nuts

St. Louis

Spoiler

AAA: Memphis Redbirds
AA: Springfield Cardinals
H-A: Peoria Chiefs
L-A: Palm Beach Cardinals

Tampa Bay

Spoiler

AAA: Durham Bulls
AA: Montgomery Biscuits
H-A: Bowling Green Hot Rods
L-A: Charleston RiverDogs (formerly with Yankees)

Texas

Spoiler

AAA: Round Rock Express (formerly with Astros)
AA: Frisco RoughRiders
H-A: Hickory Crawdads
L-A: Down East Wood Ducks

Toronto

Spoiler

AAA: Buffalo Bisons
AA: New Hampshire Fisher Cats
H-A: Vancover Canadians
L-A: Dunedin Blue Jays

Washington

Spoiler

AAA: Rochester Red Wings (formerly with Minnesota)
AA: Harrisburg Senators
H-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks (formerly with Kansas City)
L-A: Fredericksburg Nationals

The only one yet to be assigned is the Fresno Grizzlies, who were told to either accept demotion to Low-A (from AAA) or they won't be affiliated at all.

[Scott]

I'm very excited to have the Rangers AAA team back in the Austin area.

[Majingir]

Like I said before, Dunedin being demoted as Jays lower A affiliate will be interesting given how that's where their renovated training facility is and I doubt they'll be dropped as an affiliate anytime soon.

I could see more changes again in a year for the Jays. Buffalo as AAA, Dunedin or Vancouver as AA, the other as high A, and either New Hampshire as low A, or they get dropped altogether.

Perhaps even bringing Ottawa back(longtime Expos affiliate who had a short stint later on with Os and Phillies in AAA) and they become the Low A affiliate (and Vancouver as high A, so Dunedin moves to AA).

[sydrogerdavid]

Next thing we look for is if MLB decides to break up the PCL and IL and organizes AAA into more sensible divisions. Good chance it happens.


Then we hope for schedules and the season to start in May.

[Majingir]

Quote: Originally Posted by sydrogerdavid

Next thing we look for is if MLB decides to break up the PCL and IL and organizes AAA into more sensible divisions. Good chance it happens. Then we hope for schedules and the season to start in May.

All leagues should simply be one. Is there even a need for PCL and IL?

Even AA, is there a reason to have diff leagues, or could they just have divisions in a league rather than diff leagues based on geographic locations.

[Jr.]

I know a lot of people are upset that they contracted some minor league teams, but this was long overdue. The minors have been bloated for a long time. Hopefully this allows the trend of improving conditions for the players to continue.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Operation Sports mobile app

[Majingir]

No new stadium for now it seems like.

Jays announce they're getting new turf.

It'll be the first time since 2015 where they're getting a new turf. The one back in 2015 happened right before they had a dirt infield. So this new one will take that into consideration, and more importantly, it's gonna be one which stays in the stadium. No need to roll up the turf when transitioning for a diff event like football. So this allows for a better, more permanent type of turf. They're having "shocks" underneath the turf too which will allow for more realistic ball bounces, and easier on the players legs too.

I hope they can fix the warning track too. That's always been part of the field players hated because you never knew where the warning track was since it was basically the same as the turf, just coloured brown.

Although with foul territory now being fully netted, that would also help too since theres no more reaching into the stands.

[sydrogerdavid]

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

All leagues should simply be one. Is there even a need for PCL and IL? Even AA, is there a reason to have diff leagues, or could they just have divisions in a league rather than diff leagues based on geographic locations.

There really wasn't a reason to keep two separate leagues other than for preserving history.

I'd love to have Gwinnett, Indy, and Charlotte come to Nashville. And maybe I'll get a better raise at the end of 2021 with all the money saved from reducing travel costs. We should have so many more fans too. Everybody has a reasonable excuse to visit my ballpark now.