Let the gains begin: MiLB's most improved
What's the best indicator of a Minor League team's success?If you're employed in the front office, the answer is simple: attendance. Those who work for Minor League teams have no control of the on-field product, which is entirely the domain of the parent club. What they can control is the
What's the best indicator of a Minor League team's success?
If you're employed in the front office, the answer is simple: attendance. Those who work for Minor League teams have no control of the on-field product, which is entirely the domain of the parent club. What they can control is the ballpark experience, working to create an environment that draws the fans in and keeps them coming back. (A winning team and a top prospect or two is merely a bonus.)
This article, greatly aided by David "The Number Tamer" Kronheim's annual Minor League Baseball Attendance Analysis, takes a level-by-level look at the teams with the biggest per-game attendance increases in 2018.
Triple-A: Oklahoma City Dodgers +180
6,713 average; 463,195 total
Last season was a down year for Minor League attendance overall, with much of the decline attributable to full-season clubs that were clobbered by an unseasonably cold and wet April. The Pacific Coast League affiliate of the Dodgers was one of five Triple-A teams to post a per-game attendance gain, along with the Buffalo Bisons, Reno Aces, Round Rock Express and Salt Lake Bees. The total attendance of 463,195 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark was Oklahoma City's highest since 2015 and second-highest since 2009. Michael Byrnes, the team's president and general manager, believes that the growth was "driven by our organization's fundamentals."
"Overall, it was a testament to our sales and marketing teams for their continued focus on advance sales, as well as our entire team for continuing to provide quality family entertainment and great value to our community," he said.
Honorable Mentions: Buffalo Bisons (+149), Reno Aces (+125)
Double-A: New Hampshire Fisher Cats +330
5,065 average; 319,099 total
Prospects who move the attendance needle are a rare breed, but they do exist. The 2018 Fisher Cats, who won the Eastern League title, featured the Blue Jays' top talent and notable big league scions Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. (Guerrero lasted 61 games before getting called up to Triple-A Buffalo). The Fisher Cats' impressive on-field pedigree wasn't the only reason for their success at the gate.
"Our ownership group has invested in new areas throughout [Northeast Delta Dental Stadium], like our new Tiki bar, live music stage and tiered seating pavilion," Fisher Cats general manager Jim Flavin said. "To go along with that, our sales staff has reengaged with the local business community, and that's made a big difference. Our on-field entertainment has become a must-see event [that] keeps people coming back all year. Throw in a championship team with some of the best prospects in baseball, and it added up to a special season in 2018."
Honorable Mentions: San Antonio Missions (+328), Binghamton Rumble Ponies (+264)
Class A Advanced: Lake Elsinore Storm +177
3,071 average; 214,955 total
The Storm, perpetual California League attendance leaders, had a comparatively disappointing 2017 in which they failed to crack the 200,000 mark. But the San Diego affiliate landed back on top in 2018, posting the biggest per-game gain within the California, Carolina and Florida State Leagues.
"I believe we had the biggest gain due to the work our staff put into to the community and with their sales efforts," Storm general manager Raj Narayanan said. "Obviously, our fun promotions and interactions at the ballpark help us a lot. We didn't do anything crazy last year, but that'll change this year. The more we do in the community, the better it is. Oh, and $2 and $3 beers help, too!"
Honorable Mentions: Palm Beach Cardinals (+98), Stockton Ports (+55)
SRP Park, home of the Augusta GreenJackets, replaced Lake Olmstead Stadium last year.
Class A: Augusta GreenJackets +1307
4,050 average; 255,155 total
The Augusta GreenJackets' SRP Park was the Minors' only new stadium in 2018. Not surprisingly, the team posted the biggest attendance gain in all of Minor League Baseball. After averaging 2,743 fans per game during their final season at Lake Olmstead Stadium, the GreenJackets crossed the Savannah River (as well as state lines, from Georgia to South Carolina). It wouldn't be surprising to see Augusta experience further gains in 2019, thanks to more amenities within the ballpark and a large array of businesses springing up around it.
Honorable Mentions: West Michigan Whitecaps (+205), Lansing Lugnuts (+144)
Class A Short-Season: Brooklyn Cyclones (+139)
5,329 average; 202,495
Between 2001 and 2015, the Cyclones led all short-season teams in attendance. The Vancouver Canadians have earned that honor over the past three years, but Brooklyn is back on the rise after a strong 2018.
"I think there were a number of factors that helped us see an increase in attendance last year," said Cyclones general manager Kevin Mahoney. "The most obvious answer is that we increased our sales staff, so more people selling, thankfully, translated into more people coming to the ballpark. But I also think that the fact that our team was more successful on the field was a big factor, as well. We had a few losing seasons in a row, and the 2018 team was right in the playoff hunt up until the final day of the season. And, obviously, we had a ton of success with some of our bigger promotional nights -- that led to standing room only crowds."
Honorable Mentions: Boise Hawks (+125), Williamsport Crosscutters (+105)
Rookie Advanced: Greeneville Reds (+410)
1,529 average; 48,021 total
The Appalachian League is on the upswing, as Pulaski, Johnson City and Princeton all increased their per-game attendance by over 200. But Greeneville is leading the charge, having posted the second-largest per-game increase in all of Minor League Baseball. Part of the increase can be attributed to an affiliation switch, with the (relatively) nearby Reds taking the place of the Houston Astros. But other elements also contributed to Greeneville's recent success. Boyd Sports took over operations of the team prior to the season, leading to a rejuvenated atmosphere at Pioneer Park.
"We continue to make improvements on anything in the ballpark our hands can touch," general manager Kristen Atwell said, noting myriad food and beverage enhancements. "And we've been more involved in the community, which has a huge effect on attendance. ... We got the ball rolling, and it was a huge success. We're excited to be here."
Benjamin Hill is a reporter for MiLB.com and writes Ben's Biz Blog. Follow Ben on Twitter.
Phillies' Moore, Fausnaught join MiLB podcast
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
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
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
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
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
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
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
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
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
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
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
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
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
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”