Now we're cooking with gas. Triple-A is in full swing and tonight those 30 teams will be joined by 46 more at the Single-A, High-A and Double-A levels. Tomorrow, April 3, marks the first day that ALL Minor League teams will have a game. There's no turning back now. Welcome to the Baseball Traveler newsletter. Let's talk about Minor League Baseball. |
NEW MINOR LEAGUE BALLPARKS FOR THE 2026 SEASON |
The 2025 Minor League season was highlighted by four ballpark openings, with facilities debuting in Spartanburg, S.C.; Columbus, Ga.; Knoxville, Tenn. and Salt Lake City. This year is bigger and better, with five new ballparks opening as well as the return of a ballpark (and team) that hadn't been part of the Minor League landscape since 2019. What follows is an overview of the stadiums entering the Minor League mix in 2026, with links to their corresponding Minor League Ballpark Guides. There's more where that came from, as the Minor League Ballpark Guides project is an interactive road trip tool featuring searchable maps and in-depth write-ups of every Minor League park. Plan your Minor League Baseball road trip today! |
Team: Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A LAD)
Ballpark: ONT Field
Opening Night: April 2 vs. Lake Elsinore Storm (SD), 9:35 p.m. ET
It's time for Ontario's pilot episode. The aviation puns will be flying today and every day at ONT Field, whose name is the three-digit code for the Ontario International Airport. This is the home of the Tower Buzzers, a new Dodgers affiliate located in the Inland Empire region just a short drive from L.A. (and, yes, the team name is a "Top Gun" reference). ONT Field is the centerpiece of the 190-acre Ontario Sports Empire, which boasts dozens of athletic fields. Fans enter the ballpark through the Arrival Gates, while a cornucopia of food options is available in the Baggage Hall. Views of the San Gabriel Mountains add a sense of grandeur to the proceedings.
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Team: Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A SF)
Ballpark: CarMax Park
Opening Night: April 7 vs. Altoona Curve (PIT), 7:05 p.m. ET
After more than a decade of twists, turns and false starts, Richmond's new ballpark has finally arrived. CarMax Park is located adjacent to the Flying Squirrels' former home of The Diamond, in what is now being referred to as The Diamond District. The 360-degree concourse is slightly above street-level, offering views of the sunken playing field. Dugout Suites, located on the third-base side at field level, offer close-up views of the action. Expect big crowds all season long, as the Flying Squirrels regularly led the Eastern League in attendance when they were at The Diamond and the anticipation for CarMax Park has long been building. |
Team: Hillsboro Hops (High-A ARI)
Ballpark: Hillsboro Hops Ballpark
Opening Night: April 7 vs. Spokane Indians (COL), 9:35 p.m. ET
Similar to Richmond, the Hops' new ballpark is located next door to where the team's previous ballpark still stands. It'll be a huge upgrade, however, with premium player amenities and fan-facing features designed to attract fans within the greater Portland, Ore., market. Hillsboro Hops Ballpark's spacious concourse includes a food hall and beer garden, while a 9,000-square-foot club area overlooks the seating bowl. The players will compete on a sustainable synthetic turf playing field that the Hops say is the first of its kind in Minor League Baseball.
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Team: Chattanooga Lookouts (Double-A CIN)
Ballpark: Erlanger Park
Opening Night: April 14 vs. Montgomery Biscuits (TB), 7:00 p.m. ET
The first Chattanooga Lookouts team took the field in 1885, and since then various iterations of the veritable Southern League squad have played in ballparks all over the city. Erlanger Park, replacing AT&T Field, is located in Chattanooga's South Broad District on the site of a former foundry and features the Tennessee Riverwalk greenway running through the facility. Echoes of the area's industrial past have informed Erlanger Park's design. The Powerhouse, a two-level covered patio in right-field, is an historic building that was once part of the foundry.
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Team: Wilson Warbirds (Single-A MIL)
Ballpark: Wilson Ballpark
Opening Night: April 14 vs. Hill City Howlers (CLE), 7:05 p.m. ET
The team formerly known as the Carolina Mudcats has relocated 25 miles east to begin a new life as the Wilson Warbirds. This team of militaristic fowl will compete at Wilson Ballpark, the epicenter of a mixed-use development project that will transform the small city's downtown. With just 3,700 fixed seats, the ballpark has an intimate feel and a close-up view of the action from all angles (including from the windows of a yet-to-open on-site hotel, located on the ballpark's third-base side). Whirligig Park, featuring the wind-powered "whirligig" sculptures of local artist Vollis Simpson, is located behind the left-field fence. These colorful contraptions add a sense of whimsy and local color to the gameday atmosphere. |
The last ballpark in this article isn't new to Minor League baseball. It's returning to Minor League Baseball. Team: Frederick Keys (High-A BAL)
Ballpark: Harry Grove Stadium
Opening Night: April 14 vs. Hudson Valley Renegades, 7:00 p.m. ET The Frederick Keys were established in the Carolina League in 1989 as a Baltimore Orioles affiliate and the following season they began playing at Harry Grove Stadium. In 2020, the Keys moved to the Draft League as part of a larger reorganization of Minor League Baseball, but now they’re back after trading places with the Aberdeen IronBirds. Harry Grove Stadium has undergone many improvements, most on the player development side, in advance of its return to the affiliated fold. "Star Spangled Banner" author Francis Scott Key, the inspiration for the team’s name, is buried in a cemetery across the street from the ballpark. |
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BITS AND PIECES AND VARIOUS EPHEMERA |
Before I let you go, here are a few things you might want to know before we meet again next week: Your friend and mine Josh Jackson, producer of this newsletter, wrote a story on Minor League promos that celebrate girls and women in sports. The Charleston RiverDogs are celebrating America's Semiquincentennial with the Freedom Burger: Seven (!) burger patties stacked on a hollowed-out Hawaiian loaf filled with fries, lettuce, tomato, cheese and pickles. I don't think this photo conveys an appropriate sense of scale, but you get the idea: |
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Wouldn't it be nice if you could wash down that burger with a Dirty Hot Dog Water cocktail? No? Regardless, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs really are selling this ill-advised drink at Coca-Cola Park this season. If you've got a sweet tooth, then go for the Caramel Corn cocktail instead. |
The San Antonio Missions have released renderings of a proposed new ballpark in downtown San Antonio. There's still a long way to go in the process but isn't this beautiful? |
New bat dog alert! Muffin will be in attendance at select Sugar Land Space Cowboys games this season. |
Speaking of animals on the field: The St. Paul Saints announced their new ballpig for 2026 (ballpigs are a long-running tradition in St. Paul). The pig will be known as ChatBLT, a name that triumphed over Pigachu, OnlyHams and Toby Lardenhire. |
OK, THAT'LL BE IT FROM ME |
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