Triple-A baseball. The final hurdle on the road to the Majors. A blend of up-and-coming prospects and veteran players looking for one last shot at glory in the bigs. There isn't another step on the ladder ... the next stop is the promised land. The blend of old and young

Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. The edition, rounding up the month of September, encapsulates the end of the regular season as well as the playoffs. Thanks for reading this season, and here's to an even more "Crooked" 2025.

Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken toward achieving his Major League dream. Here's a look at second-ranked Royals prospect Blake Mitchell. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here. Blake Mitchell’s numbers from his first full Minor League

His players were scattered across the state, having sought shelter, when Brian Henry, head baseball coach at Tallahassee State College, sent a welcome message. Hurricane Helene had sideswiped Tallahassee on Sept. 25. There was no catastrophic damage as feared. The campus was intact and the baseball facilities were fine. Henry

The second annual MiLB Awards Show aired on MLB Network on Monday night, with hardware handed out to the best of the best in the Minor Leagues during the 2024 season. If you missed the show, we’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of the finalists and winners for

Kristian Campbell flew under the radar for so long. Campbell was one of the better position players in Georgia's 2021 high school class, but questions about his power dissuaded pro teams from trying to sign him. At Georgia Tech, the coaching staff believed he'd be better off redshirting than playing

Quinn Mathews knows how to make adjustments, both physically and mentally. MLB Pipeline's No. 80 overall prospect made them when the 2022 Draft didn’t go his way as a Stanford junior and he went back for his senior year. And he made them repeatedly in an outstanding first full season

The Jersey Diners have a new addition to the menu: The Best Alternate Identity Award. This honor, determined via online vote, was announced during Monday evening’s MiLB Awards broadcast on the MLB Network. Jersey Diners, an alternate identity of the Somerset Patriots, triumphed over six other nominees: Wichita Chili Buns,

Just think of some of the big numbers put up in the Minors this year -- 40 homers, 104 stolen bases, 202 strikeouts -- and they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Terrific performances came in a variety of shapes and sizes during the 2024 Minor League season. To celebrate

LAS VEGAS -- Shay Whitcomb was not the first to celebrate his birthday in Las Vegas. But he was the first to do so while winning Triple-A National Championship MVP honors. “It's the best birthday I've ever had, winning a championship," he said. "I mean, come on." The Astros’ No.

Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other

This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. The following ballpark road trip recap is presented by Wyndham, proud sponsor of Minor League

While Storm Chasers vs. Space Cowboys sounds like a summer blockbuster, it's gearing up to be a fall classic. Omaha (Royals) and Sugar Land (Astros) square off in a single-game Triple-A National Championship at 10:07 p.m. ET on Saturday at Las Vegas Ballpark, airing on MLB Network. This will be

Longevity certainly has its perks. Just ask Triple-A Omaha and manager Mike Jirschele. As the ball settled into center fielder Drew Waters' glove for the final out, the Storm Chasers not only clinched their first International League championship, they accomplished something no other Triple-A club has ever done before. Omaha

The 2024 Minor League season was one for the books. Now it’s time to hand out some hardware.

The Space Cowboys can now officially claim to be "over the moon." For the first time in its four-year affiliate history, Triple-A Sugar Land are champions after sweeping its way to the Pacific Coast League crown with a 5-2 win over Reno on Wednesday night at Constellation Field. It's the

The Arkansas Travelers came one win away from their first Texas League title in more than a decade in 2023, falling just short when they lost their winner-take-all Game 3. This year, they found themselves in another winner-take-all scenario, and history did not repeat itself. This time, the Travelers got

Minor League Baseball announced the official start time for the 2024 Triple-A Championship Game, set for Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:09 p.m. PT/10:09 ET, at Las Vegas Ballpark in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Triple-A Championship Game will see the winners of the International League and the Pacific Coast League square

It's almost time for the Arizona Fall League, which opens play on Oct. 7. Since the developmental league began play in 1992, it has spawned more than 3,000 big leaguers, including Hall of Famers Roy Halladay, Todd Helton, Derek Jeter and Mike Piazza and current stars including Mookie Betts, Bryce

There was nothing supernatural about it, but the metropolis known as Magic City lived up to its billing on Tuesday night. DJ Gladney ripped a liner into center field in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift Double-A Birmingham to its first Southern League championship since 2013 with a

The Erie SeaWolves are the cream of the crop of the Eastern League once again. The Tigers' Double-A affiliate secured its second straight crown after sweeping the best-of-3 Championship Series with a 3-2 victory over Somerset on Tuesday at TD Bank Ballpark. After notching their first title last season, the