While we hear MiLB contraction isn’t likely in coming years, the lineups are definitely changing thanks to ownership shifts and changes in new-ballpark plans, as seen in Trenton and Everett.
In Washington State, the quest for a new ballpark for the Everett AquaSox (High-A; Northwest League) took another twist when city officials requested an additional $10.6 million to buy additional properties surrounding the proposed facility and the Everett Outdoor Event Center. The new 5,000-capacity ballpark (shown below) would be built to meet current MiLB facility specs and also host professional soccer.
The new ballpark would replace the team’s current home, Funko Field, which has a smaller capacity (under 4,000) and does not meet MiLB facility specs. The team and the city argue that the market may lose Minor League Baseball without a new ballpark, and this is not an idle threat: while there are ballpark issues in more than one Northwest League city (i.e., Everett as well), there are other markets within the Northwest League footprint and slightly outside it seeking an MiLB licensee.
The total budget for the project is now $120 million, but only $7 million has been approved by the City Council. If fully funded, the new ballpark could open for the 2028 MiLB season, per a presentation to the city earlier this month.
In New Jersey, the sale of the MLB Draft League Trenton Thunder to Diamond Baseball Holdings earlier this month likely marks the return of the Thunder to affiliated ball. Trenton was one of the last cuts after MiLB contraction, losing out to Somerset as host to Yankees Double-A baseball. But Trenton stayed close to MiLB, proving successful at hosting a MLB Draft League team and hosting the Buffalo Bisons (Triple-A; International League) when that team was displaced from Sahlen Field after the Toronto Blue Jays set up shop in then-Sahlin Field during COVID times. The prior Thunder ownership also maintained Trenton Thunder Ballpark to MiLB specs, convincing New Jersey and Mercer County to spend millions on ballpark upgrades and additions like the Victory Lounge, an all-inclusive club space.
If the current plans succeed, the Thunder would join the High-A Sally League, replacing the Rome Emperors. The Braves affiliation would likely switch to Spartanburg and the Hub City Spartanburgers.
We are entering some very unsettled time in professional baseball, with the coming offseason dominated by negotiations for a new player agreement and the potential of a 2027 labor dispute. But, as we noted, MiLB contraction isn’t likely to be any agenda, though we may see some tinkering with roster sizes affecting the number of chain-link complex teams (most MLB squads now opt for just a single team). And the fairly inevitable MLB expansion in, say, 2032, could likely lead to an expansion of the MiLB lineup in 2030–perfect timing for the next round of licensee agreements. Expansion will also lead to another shakeup in leagues and levels.
That’s why you will see plenty of communities step up their interest in baseball facilities, whether it former MiLB communities embrace new-ballpark plans or other cities already hosting MLB Partner League pricing facility renovations. In any event, there’s a certain level of optimism in the industry right now.
Rendering courtesy City of Everett.