List Of Minor League Baseball Teams In Virginia

The Norfolk Tides are one of the major Virginia minor league baseball teams. Tides are Baltimore Orioles affiliate club that competes in the Triple-A division.

Founded in 1961 as the Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides, they were initially affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals and played their home games at High Rock Park.

In 1963, the Tides moved to Frank D. Lawrence Memorial Stadium and to Met Park in 1970. After two-decade playing home games at Met Park, Norfolk relocated to Harbor Park. They became the affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles in 1969.

The team has been quite successful, winning six league championships throughout its history. Back in 1965, when they were affiliated with the Chicago White Sox as a Class A team, they secured the Carolina League championship.

Besides, Norfolk managed to triumph in the International League five times. They also had a significant victory in 1983 when they became the champions of the Triple-A World Series.

Richmond Flying Squirrels is one of the new minor league baseball teams that began its operation in 2010.

They are part of the Eastern League and are connected to the San Francisco Giants, a major league team. The Flying Squirrels play their home games at The Diamond.

San Francisco has been collaborating with them since 2010, making it the longest-lasting partnership for a team not owned by the Giants.

Initially named the Connecticut Defenders, the Squirrels spent 12 years playing in the Double-A league and won a division title in 2014.

The franchise got its name from a contest held by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where readers could suggest names for the team. The contest ended on October 15, 2009, and the term "Flying Squirrels" was preferred.

It was inspired by the Virginia State Flag, which has a flying squirrel on it. The flying squirrel represents qualities like strength and determination, which the team wants to represent.

The Lynchburg Hillcats are a baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Hillcats are part of the Carolina League and are allied with the Cleveland Guardians.

Besides, they used to be associated with other major league teams in the past, like the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Their home field is called Calvin Falwell Field, which was renovated and renamed in 2004. It can accommodate around 4,291 fans, providing a great experience for spectators.

In 2016, the team announced they would change their name and allowed the fans to vote on new name options such as Derechos, Lamb Chops, and River Runners.

However, the majority of fans preferred to keep the Hillcats name. The team did introduce new logos and changed their color scheme for the 2017 season, using shades of green, blue, and midnight blue.

Fredericksburg Nationals are one of Virginia based minor league baseball teams. The Nationals became associated with the MLB teams in 2020.

They are the newest addition to the minor league baseball from Virginia. Founded in 2020 as the affiliate of the Washington Nationals, the team competes in the Single A class of the Carolina League.

The Fred Nats are based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and host their matches at Virginia Credit Union Stadium, which can accommodate up to 5,000 spectators.

In June 2018, Art Silber, the owner of the Potomac Nationals, relocated the team from Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium to the newly constructed Virginia Credit Union Stadium in Fredericksburg. This move led to the establishment of a new franchise, the Fredericksburg Nationals.

In October 2019, Potomac made an announcement saying they would identify as the Fredericksburg Nationals starting from the 2020 season and a new nickname: FredNats.

The Salem Red Sox, as their name suggests, serve as the minor league affiliate of the MLB team, the Boston Red Sox.

Based in Salem, Virginia, the team vies at the Single-A class in the Carolina League. Their home ground Haley Toyota Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark has a seating capacity of 6,300.

They began playing in 1955 in the Appalachian League and later shifted to the Carolina League. For the 2021 season, Salem competed in the Low-A East league.

Owing to its rich history the franchise has claimed seven league titles and 13 division trophies, the most recent coming in 2021.

The franchise has played under various names and affiliations in the past. Before changing their name to the Red Sox in 2009, the baseball team went by the name Salem Avalanche from 1995 to 2008.

The Bristol Pirates are an extinct minor league team that played in the Appalachian League from 1969 to 2020. They has won six league titles in their history. 

The Pirates were a Rookie-level club based in Bristol, Virginia. The team played their home games at DeVault Memorial Stadium, built in 1969 and could hold 2,000 fans.

Before becoming associated with the Washington Nationals, the Pirates had a connection with several Major League franchises, such as the Chicago White Sox, the Detroit Tigers, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Starting from the 2021 season, the Appalachian League went through some changes. It transformed into a summer baseball league for college students, freshmen, and sophomores who are aspiring baseball players.

Following the dismissal of the Appalachian League, the Bristol Pirates was replaced by a brand new franchise called the Bristol State Liners.

Pulaski Yankees were an advanced rookie minor league baseball VA team from Pulaski, Virginia. The Yankees competed in the Appalachian League and Virginia League.

The team hosted their home games at Calfee Park and had associations with different Major League Baseball teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, and the New York Yankees.

The five-time Appalachian League champion went through several name changes in the club's history.

Starting with Pulaski Counts at the inception, the franchise adopted names based on their affiliate MLB team. They became Pulaski Yankees in  2015 after allying with the New York Yankees.

However, Pulaski suffered a similar fate as the Bristol Pirates when the Appalachian League converted to a collegiate summer baseball league. A new franchise, the Pulaski River Turtles, emerged.

A former minor league team Danville Braves, was in operation from 1993 to 2020. Danville contested in the Advanced Rookie division of the Appalachian League.

Located in Danville, Virginia, the Braves used to play their home games in front of over 2500 supporters at American Legion Post 325 Field. Before arriving in Danville, their previous venue was Calfee Park in Pulaski, Virginia.

Since its establishment, Danville remained loyal to the MLB club Atlanta Braves and played under its affiliation.

In September 2006, Danville clinched their first-ever championship in the Appalachian League. Three years later, they celebrated once again as they claimed their second Appalachian League title. Both times, they emerged victorious by defeating the Elizabethton Twins in thrilling matches.

After the 2020 season, a new franchise called the Danville Otterbots took the position of the Braves in the revised league.

Bluefield Blue Jays also make the list of Minor League Baseball teams that have ceased to exist. 

They played in the Rookie Appalachian League for the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia.

Originally called the Bluefield Blue-Grays, the Bluefield baseball team had connections with various big-league teams like the Boston Red Sox, Brooklyn Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, and eventually the Toronto Blue Jays from 2011 to 2020.

Founded in 1937, Bluefield played their home games at a historic ballpark, Bowen Field at Peters Park, which can hold around 2000 spectators. 

Besides, the team is one of the most successful minor league teams, having won league titles an astonishing 14 times. 

Jays were discontinued after the 2020 season as part of Minor League Baseball's restructuring, and the Bluefield Blue Jays evolved into a new franchise, the Bluefield Ridge Runners.