Triple-A (officially Class AAA)[1] is the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, Triple-A East and Triple-A West, with a total of 30 teams, 20 in the East and 10 in the West. Triple-A teams can be located both in smaller cities as well as larger metropolitan areas without Major League Baseball teams, such as Austin, Jacksonville, Columbus, and Charlotte.
All current Triple-A teams are located in the United States; before 2008, some Triple-A leagues also fielded teams in Canada,[2] and from 1967 to 2020 the Mexican League was classified as Triple-A. Other than the current two Triple-A leagues, only five other leagues have ever held the classification.
History[edit]
Prior to 1946, the top level of Minor League Baseball was Double-A, which had been established in 1912.[3][4]:236 The Triple-A classification was created before the 1946 season, and began with all three leagues then in Double-A moving up to the new level:[4]:15
- American Association (AA)
- International League (IL)
- Pacific Coast League (PCL)
This structure would persist for the next 75 years with only a few changes:
- 1952–1957: The PCL was classified as "Open" for these six season, in anticipation of it potentially becoming a third major league; once the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants relocated from New York City to California, the PCL returned to Triple-A for the 1958 season.[4]:16, 497
- 1963–1968: The AA did not operate during these six seasons.[4]:521, 541
- 1967: The Mexican League received Triple-A classification;[4]:537 it had previously been Double-A since 1955[4]:481
- 1979: The Inter-American League debuted with a Triple-A classification; the league disbanded in June[4]:587
- 1998: Teams from the AA, which disbanded after the 1997 season, were added to the PCL and IL[5]
The IL, PCL, and Mexican League continued as Triple-A leagues until Major League Baseball (MLB) reorganized the minor leagues prior to the 2021 season. At that time, the IL and PCL were discontinued and replaced with Triple-A East and Triple-A West. The Mexican League continues to operate, independently.
Countries[edit]
While all current and the majority of past Triple-A teams have been located in the United States, Triple-A teams have also been based in:[4]:104–106
- Canada: multiple teams, including the Montreal Royals and Ottawa Lynx of the IL, and the Calgary Cannons and Vancouver Mounties of the PCL
- Cuba: the Havana Sugar Kings were members of the IL from 1954 to 1960
- Dominican Republic: the short-lived Inter-American League had a team based here in 1979
- Mexico: all Mexican League teams
- Panama: one Inter-American League team in 1979
- Puerto Rico: the San Juan Marlins of the IL in 1961, and one Inter-American League team in 1979
- Venezuela: two Inter-American League teams in 1979
Purpose[edit]
Triple-A teams' main purpose is to prepare players for the Major Leagues. ESPN wrote in 2010:[6]
Winning is nice, but secondary. It's much more important for a young prospect like outfielder Xavier Paul to get regular at-bats against lefties, or work on dropping down sacrifice bunts with a runner on first, than it is to take three of four from the Portland Beavers.[6]
Both young players and veterans play for Triple-A teams:
There are the young prospects speeding through the organization on the fastest treadmill, the guys who used to be young prospects who are in danger of topping out in Triple-A, the 30-somethings trying to get back to the majors after an injury or a rough patch, and the guys just playing a few more seasons because someone still wants them and they still want to.[6]
Most, if not all, of the players on an MLB team's expanded roster who are not currently on the team's active roster are assigned to the team's Triple-A club. Expanded rosters consist of 40 players, while active rosters generally consist of 26 players as of the 2021 season. Most Triple-A teams are based close to their MLB parent club, as activating a Triple-A player as an injury replacement is a common occurrence.
Leagues[edit]
Teams at this level are divided into two leagues: Triple-A East and Triple-A West. The Triple-A East fields teams primarily in the Eastern United States, while the Triple-A West fields teams mostly in the Western United States. Each of the 30 Major League Baseball teams has an affiliation with one Triple-A team in the United States.
Current teams[edit]
Triple-A East[edit]
| Division | Team | Founded | MLB Affiliation | Affiliated | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest | Columbus Clippers | 1977 | Cleveland Indians | 2009 | Columbus, Ohio | Huntington Park | 10,100 |
| Indianapolis Indians | 1902 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 2005 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Victory Field | 14,230 | |
| Iowa Cubs | 1969 | Chicago Cubs | 1981 | Des Moines, Iowa | Principal Park | 11,500 | |
| Louisville Bats | 1982 | Cincinnati Reds | 2000 | Louisville, Kentucky | Louisville Slugger Field | 13,131 | |
| Omaha Storm Chasers | 1969 | Kansas City Royals | 1969 | Papillion, Nebraska | Werner Park | 9,023 | |
| St. Paul Saints | 1993 | Minnesota Twins | 2021 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | CHS Field | 7,210 | |
| Toledo Mud Hens | 1965 | Detroit Tigers | 1987 | Toledo, Ohio | Fifth Third Field | 10,300 | |
| Northeast | Buffalo Bisons | 1979 | Toronto Blue Jays | 2013 | Buffalo, New York[a] | Sahlen Field[a] | 16,600 |
| Lehigh Valley IronPigs | 2008 | Philadelphia Phillies | 2007 | Allentown, Pennsylvania | Coca-Cola Park | 10,100 | |
| Rochester Red Wings | 1899 | Washington Nationals | 2021 | Rochester, New York | Frontier Field | 10,840 | |
| Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders | 1989 | New York Yankees | 2007 | Moosic, Pennsylvania | PNC Field | 10,000 | |
| Syracuse Mets | 1934 | New York Mets | 2019 | Syracuse, New York | NBT Bank Stadium | 11,071 | |
| Worcester Red Sox | 2021 | Boston Red Sox | 2021 | Worcester, Massachusetts | Polar Park | 9,508 | |
| Southeast | Charlotte Knights | 1976 | Chicago White Sox | 1999 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Truist Field | 10,200 |
| Durham Bulls | 1980 | Tampa Bay Rays | 1998 | Durham, North Carolina | Durham Bulls Athletic Park | 10,000 | |
| Gwinnett Stripers | 2009 | Atlanta Braves | 1965 | Lawrenceville, Georgia | Coolray Field | 10,427 | |
| Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp | 1962 | Miami Marlins | 2021 | Jacksonville, Florida | 121 Financial Ballpark | 11,000 | |
| Memphis Redbirds | 1998 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1998 | Memphis, Tennessee | AutoZone Park | 10,000 | |
| Nashville Sounds | 1978 | Milwaukee Brewers | 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee | First Horizon Park | 10,000 | |
| Norfolk Tides | 1961 | Baltimore Orioles | 2007 | Norfolk, Virginia | Harbor Park | 11,856 |
Triple-A West[edit]
| Division | Team | Founded | MLB Affiliation | Affiliated | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | Albuquerque Isotopes | 2003 | Colorado Rockies | 2015 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park | 13,500 |
| El Paso Chihuahuas | 2014 | San Diego Padres | 2014 | El Paso, Texas | Southwest University Park | 9,500 | |
| Oklahoma City Dodgers | 1962 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 2015 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | 9,000 | |
| Round Rock Express | 2000 | Texas Rangers | 2021 | Round Rock, Texas | Dell Diamond | 11,631 | |
| Sugar Land Skeeters | 2012 | Houston Astros | 2021 | Sugar Land, Texas | Constellation Field | 7,500 | |
| West | Las Vegas Aviators | 1983 | Oakland Athletics | 2019 | Summerlin, Nevada | Las Vegas Ballpark | 10,000 |
| Reno Aces | 2009 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2009 | Reno, Nevada | Greater Nevada Field | 9,013 | |
| Sacramento River Cats | 2000 | San Francisco Giants | 2015 | West Sacramento, California | Sutter Health Park | 14,014 | |
| Salt Lake Bees | 1994 | Los Angeles Angels | 2001 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Smith's Ballpark | 14,511 | |
| Tacoma Rainiers | 1960 | Seattle Mariners | 1995 | Tacoma, Washington | Cheney Stadium | 6,500 |
Triple-A All-Star Game[edit]
The Triple-A All-Star Game was a single game held between the two affiliated Triple-A leagues—the International League and the Pacific Coast League. Each league fielded a team composed of the top players in their respective leagues as voted on by fans, the media, and each club's field manager and general manager.[8] The event took place every year since 1988 when the first Triple-A All-Star Game was played in Buffalo, New York. Prior to 1998, a team of American League-affiliated Triple-A All-Stars faced off against a team of National League-affiliated Triple-A All-Stars.
Traditionally, the game was held on the day after the mid-summer Major League Baseball All-Star Game.[9] Such games mark a symbolic halfway-point in the season, despite occurring later than the actual halfway-point of most seasons. Both Triple-A leagues shared a common All-Star break, with no regular-season games scheduled for two days before the All-Star Game itself. Some additional events, such as the All-Star Fan Fest and Triple-A Home Run Derby, were held each year during this break in the regular season.[10]
While the 2021 schedule originally included a three-day All-Star break of July 12–14,[11] this was removed after Opening Day was pushed back one month.[12] Team schedules for the 2021 season were subsequently issued without an All-Star break.[13]
Triple-A Championship[edit]
Beginning in 2006, the annual Triple-A National Championship Game was held to serve as a single championship game between the champions of the International League and Pacific Coast League to determine an overall champion of Triple-A baseball. It was originally held annually at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, and known as the Bricktown Showdown.[14] Starting in 2011, the game was held in a different Triple-A city each year.[15] Previous postseason interleague championships include the Junior World Series (1932–34, 1936–62, 1970–71, 1973–74), Triple-A World Series (1983, 1998–2000), and Triple-A Classic (1988–91).
Due to travel restrictions in place during the 2021 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, teams were scheduled to play limited opponents, and schedules were issued without a posteason for league championship playoffs or the Triple-A National Championship Game.[16]
Pace-of-play initiatives[edit]
As a part of professional baseball's pace of play initiatives implemented in 2015, 20-second pitch clocks entered use at Triple-A stadiums in 2015.[17] In 2018, the time was shortened to 15 seconds when no runners are on base. Other significant changes implemented in 2018 included beginning extra innings with a runner on second base and limiting teams to six mound visits during a nine-inning game.[18] For the 2019 season, the number of mound visits was reduced to five, and pitchers were required to face a minimum of three consecutive batters unless the side is retired or the pitcher becomes injured and is unable to continue playing.[19]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b Due to travel restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Buffalo Bisons' MLB affiliate, the Toronto Blue Jays, will play part of their 2021 season at Buffalo's Sahlen Field. The displaced Bisons will play at Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton, New Jersey.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ The Official Professional Baseball Rules Book (PDF). New York City: Office of the Commissioner of Baseball. 2021. p. 10. Retrieved May 1, 2021 – via mlbpa.org. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ "Lynx are outta here: Team sold, will move to U.S." www.canada.com. Ottawa Citizen. April 13, 2016. Archived from the original on November 19, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
- ^ "National Commission Grants Minor Leaguers Everything Asked For: Big Moguls of Baseball...Establish Much Wanted Class AA". The Philadelphia Inquirer. January 5, 1912. p. 10. Retrieved April 14, 2021 – via newspapers.com. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ a b c d e f g h The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 1932391177.CS1 maint: others (link)
- ^ "Notable Events in American Association History". Triple-A Baseball. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ a b c Shelburne, Ramona (September 1, 2010). "John Lindsey waits for his chance". ESPN. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
- ^ "Bisons to Begin 2021 Season Playing Home Games in Trenton, NJ". Buffalo Bisons. Minor League Baseball. April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- ^ Wild, Danny (May 30, 2014). "Voting begins for Triple-A All-Star Game". Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on August 25, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ "Omaha Storm Chasers and Werner Park to Host 2015 Triple-A Baseball All-Star Game". Omaha Storm Chasers. Minor League Baseball. March 5, 2014. Archived from the original on March 15, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ "Durham Lands 2014 Triple-A ASG". Minor League Baseball. February 20, 2013. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ "Bisons Unveil 2021 Playing Schedule, Opening Day Set for April 6 at Sahlen Field". Buffalo Bisons. Minor League Baseball. February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ Harrigan, Thomas (March 2, 2021). "Triple-A Start Delayed; Alternate Sites to Return". Major League Baseball. Retrieved March 3, 2021. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ "Printable Schedule". MiLB.com. Worcester Red Sox. Retrieved May 5, 2021. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ "Bricktown Showdown To Determine Triple-A Baseball Champion" (PDF). Triple-A Baseball. July 12, 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
- ^ Hill, Benjamin (February 8, 2011). "Isotopes to Host Triple-A Championship". Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
- ^ Reichard, Kevin (February 18, 2021). "2021 MiLB Schedules Released". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved February 18, 2021. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ Jackson, Josh (January 15, 2015). "Triple-A, Double-A to Implement Pitch Clock". MILB.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ "MiLB announces pace-of-play rules for 2018". MILB.com. March 14, 2018. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ "MiLB announces pace-of-play rules for 2019". MILB.com. March 29, 2019. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
External links[edit]
- Official website
