Today’s hat is back in the Copa de la Diversion. This hat is Las Ardillas Voladoras de Richmond or the Richmond Flying Squirrels, AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. The Flying Squirrels have some great hats and this is just one of them.

Today’s hat comes to us from the great state of Maine. It’s an alternate identity for the Portland Sea Dogs, AA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. This is Bean Suppah!

I’d really like a HD picture of when Willy hit the walk off home on 7/19 and when he got to home plate they threw bubblegum in the air and he put up a hand heart. I can’t find an HD photo of that but I know it would be an amazing background. Other amazing brewers photos are obviously encouraged though!!

Today we have a fun hat from the Wichita Wind Surge, the AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. This is an alternate identity which I think is becoming their actual identity going forward. This is the Turbo Tubs. I like the color of this hat so had to spring for it.

As someone who has gone to Somerset Patriots (Double AA for the Yankees) games my entire life as I live 20 minutes away from their stadium, one thing in recent years has blown me away. HOW CRAMPED EVERYTHING IS! This was fine when they were an indy-ball team and not drawing as big of crowds, but since being part of the Yankees org. in 2021 it is completely different. Now you routinely have Yankees doing rehab stints there and big theme nights which makes everything just so packed.

TD Bank Ballpark was a great indy-ball stadium that got thrown into the spotlight in 2021. You can barely walk around the concourse on a weekend night because of how cramped everything is. The right field food area especially is annoying to get through.

I still love the team and all, but it is getting to a point where bigger-attendance games are borderline impossible to relax at since everything is so jammed up. Combine this with an increase in jumbotron advertisements and sound effects in recent years and it just feels like there's too many cooks in the kitchen. Just put some seats in left field; it is totally possible and would clear a lot of congestion issues up. LMK if anyone else feels like this or I'm just a grinch.

TLDR: TD Bank Ballpark needs outfield seating because everything is so cramped since joining the Yankees organization in 2021

Today’s hat is another Copa hat and we’re doubling up on MLB affiliates but that’s okay. This is the Pajaritos de Norfolk which is from the Norfolk Tides, the AAA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. I really dig this hat, idk what it is about it but I really like it!

Werner Park tonight. Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs in town.

Today is a Copa hat from the Aberdeen Ironbirds, high A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. This is the Cencerros Increibles, which translates to incredible cowbells. I have a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell!!

Edit: 4-time World Series-WINNING Manager (SF, TEX)

At tonight’s Eugene Emeralds (SF High-A) game, my brother and I sat Sec 7, Row 8, Seats 1 and 2. Just before first pitch, an usher came up to us and said a gentleman will be joining us shortly. Little did we know it would be 4-time World Series manager BRUCE BOCHY

Got to shake his hand, greeted him

Third ex-MLB manager/player Ive spoken to in my lifetime

Ems defeated Hillsboro, 6-2

Fireworks Friday checking in on Leo De Vries (no. 2 overall prospect) at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, AR

Today’s hat represents my Philly roots. This hat is from the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Jawn is a word used by Philadelphians that is almost like a substitute for a noun. A person, place or thing can be a Jawn for example pass me that Jawn over there or I’m going to that Jawn tonight. It’s a dumb word but it’s pretty ubiquitous in Philly slang.

Here is my annual draft tracker. I'm updating signing multiple times per day. Let me know if I miss and signings.

My sister and I got tickets a few weeks ago for WWE night at the Brooklyn Cyclones. NYC is currently being pretty heavily impacted by wildfire smoke – AQI here is in the 170s 😵

That being said, the NWSL didn't cancel the Gotham FC game on Wednesday for the wildfire smoke, though the AQI was not this high that night. I tried to see if the WooSox cancelled any games because of the smoke since I'm from Boston and know they were impacted too, but they're away this weekend.

I'm not really sure what to expect. Should I assume that today's game is going to be cancelled? How / when will we find out if it is? Any insight appreciated.

EDIT: Thanks everyone! Neither of us use Twitter, so that wasn't an option unfortunately, but the smoke's cleared up a ton since I posted this morning so we're definitely not worried. Thanks again!

Today’s hat is an alternate identity for the Memphis Redbirds, AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. This is the Memphis Turtles. The Turtles were apart of the Southern Association way back in 1909 so this is quite the throwback. Really enjoyed the turtle shell hat design and the singing turtle on the front.

Inspired by Foolish Bailey, I evaluated some notable hitters by their first half (excluding FCL/ACL/DSL) players, many being under the radar and worth looking out for in the future. The stats I used to evaluate included:

Age relative to level
K% minus BB%
ISO
wRC+
wSB

These players were worth talking about:

Franklin Arias — BOS
20 years old, Double-A
BB%: 11.0%
K%: 13.3%
K-BB%: 2.3%
ISO: .272
wRC+: 156
wSB: -0.9
Arias is the clear number-one player under this weighting. He has one of the best plate-discipline profiles in the minors.
A 13.3% strikeout rate with a .272 ISO is especially impressive. Most hitters producing that much power have considerably more swing-and-miss.
The slightly negative baserunning value is irrelevant compared with the strength of his first three categories.
Overall: Elite age-level performance, elite K-BB% and legitimate power. He is the cleanest fit.

Chase Harlan — LAD
19 years old, A/A+
BB%: 13.4%
K%: 19.0%
K-BB%: 5.6%
ISO: .236
wRC+: 146
wSB: -0.7
Harlan is not producing the biggest raw ISO, but he is only 19 and has already reached High-A.

His plate discipline is also advanced:
Strikeout rate below 20%
Walk rate above 13%
Only a 5.6-point difference between the two
The .236 ISO is still comfortably above average and could improve as he matures physically.
Overall: The combination of age, level, discipline and developing power makes him one of the best long-term bets.

Lazaro Montes — SEA
21 years old, Double-A/Triple-A
BB%: 15.7%
K%: 31.4%
K-BB%: 15.7%
ISO: .302
wRC+: 133
wSB: -1.6
Montes ranks highly because being 21 and already playing in the upper minors is a major positive. He also has one of the best power marks in the group.
The concern is his strikeout rate. His strong walk rate keeps the K-BB% from becoming disastrous, but a 31.4% strikeout rate creates considerable risk.

Overall: One of the highest-upside players, but there is meaningful swing-and-miss risk.

Hector Osorio — TEX
21 years old, A/A+
BB%: 14.2%
K%: 11.6%
K-BB%: -2.6%
ISO: .250
wRC+: 152
wSB: -2.0
Osorio has the best K-BB% in the entire group. He is walking more frequently than he strikes out while still producing a .250 ISO.

Overall: Possibly the best pure statistical hitting profile.

Luke Hill — CLE
22 years old, A+/AA
BB%: 16.9%
K%: 20.7%
K-BB%: 3.8%
ISO: .267
wRC+: 134
wSB: -0.4
Hill checks all three primary boxes:
Good age for Double-A
Excellent K-BB%
Strong .267 ISO
His walk rate is especially encouraging. He does not need an unusually low strikeout rate because he offsets it with walks nearly 17% of the time.

Overall: One of the most complete combinations of youth, discipline and power.

Sean Keys — TOR
23 years old, Double-A/Triple-A
BB%: 13.6%
K%: 23.1%
K-BB%: 9.5%
ISO: .335
wRC+: 164
wSB: +0.1
Keys has the most power among the young upper-minors players.
His K-BB% is solid rather than elite, but there is no major discipline problem:
Strong walk rate
Manageable strikeout rate for a power hitter
Neutral-to-positive baserunning
Overall: One of the best combinations of upper-level performance and impact power.

Caleb Bonemer — CHW
20 years old, A+/AA
BB%: 13.8%
K%: 27.8%
K-BB%: 14.0%
ISO: .282
wRC+: 135
wSB: 0.0
Bonemer has a strong .282 ISO and a quality walk rate.
The strikeout rate keeps him below the more polished players. His K-BB% is not bad for a young power hitter, but it is clearly less advanced than Arias, Harlan, Osorio or Hill.
Overall: Strong age-power prospect whose ranking depends on future contact development.

Alfredo Duno — CIN
20 years old, A+/AA
BB%: 16.4%
K%: 25.4%
K-BB%: 9.0%
ISO: .261
wRC+: 132
wSB: -0.6
Duno has a similar age-level profile to Bonemer, but a better K-BB%. His walk rate is excellent, and his strikeout rate is elevated but manageable.
Bonemer ranks slightly ahead due to the larger ISO, but Duno may possess the more stable offensive approach.
Overall: Young, patient power hitter with a good balance between upside and current skill.

Yordalin Peña — STL
21 years old, Triple-A
BB%: 8.1%
K%: 29.0%
K-BB%: 20.9%
ISO: .242
wRC+: 124
wSB: +1.9
Peñas plate-discipline profile is easily the biggest weakness among the top players. He strikes out frequently and does not walk enough to compensate.
His positive baserunning helps, but he is ranked here primarily because of his developmental advancement.
Overall: Young for Triple-A, but his offensive approach is much less polished than those ranked above him.

Jesús Báez — STL
21 years old, A+/AA
BB%: 7.1%
K%: 16.4%
K-BB%: 9.3%
ISO: .274
wRC+: 103
wSB: -1.2
Báez has an attractive power-contact combination. A .274 ISO with only a 16.4% strikeout rate is impressive.
His low walk rate keeps the K-BB% from being elite, and his 103 wRC+ is surprisingly unimpressive given the power numbers.
Overall: Interesting young power-contact hitter, although the overall results are less convincing.

Won-Bin Cho — STL
22 years old, A+/AA
BB%: 16.0%
K%: 24.8%
K-BB%: 8.8%
ISO: .283
wRC+: 136
wSB: +0.7
Cho has one of the most balanced lines in the group:
Strong K-BB%
Excellent power
Positive baserunning
Above-average overall production
Overall: A complete profile with no meaningful weakness outside of a moderately elevated strikeout rate.

Manuel Peña — ARI
22 years old, Double-A/Triple-A
BB%: 6.5%
K%: 22.7%
K-BB%: 16.2%
ISO: .306
wRC+: 125
wSB: +0.3
His approach is the major concern. He walks infrequently and has a fairly high strikeout rate, leaving him with a weak K-BB% relative to the top players.
The combination of age, level and power is still too strong to exclude.
Overall: Advanced, high-power hitter whose aggressive approach limits the floor.

Eric Hartman — ATL
20 years old, High-A
BB%: 9.4%
K%: 23.5%
K-BB%: 14.1%
ISO: .262
wRC+: 134
wSB: +2.8
Hartman checks the power box with a .262 ISO. His discipline numbers are acceptable but not exceptional.
His baserunning is the best among the top 20, giving him additional value after the primary hitting categories are considered.
Overall: Young, productive and athletic, although the plate discipline still requires improvement.

James Tibbs III — LAD
23 years old, Triple-A
BB%: 16.3%
K%: 25.1%
K-BB%: 8.8%
ISO: .264
wRC+: 142
wSB: -0.7
Tibbs has a strong upper-level profile. He is not exceptionally young for Triple-A, but he is young enough that the performance remains meaningful.
His combination of a .264 ISO and 16.3% walk rate is particularly attractive. The strikeout rate is moderately elevated but adequately offset by the walks.
Overall: Strong upper-minors hitter with power, patience and solid overall production.

Carlos Virahonda — ARI
20 years old, A/A+
BB%: 7.7%
K%: 18.5%
K-BB%: 10.8%
ISO: .237
wRC+: 111
wSB: -0.4
Virahonda has a manageable strikeout rate with developing power.
The lower walk rate and modest 111 wRC+ limit his current standing. He profiles more as a developmental candidate than a statistical dominator.
Overall: Age and contact provide the foundation, but he needs either more patience or more power.

Lisbel Diaz — SFG
20 years old, A/A+
BB%: 5.2%
K%: 16.3%
K-BB%: 11.1%
ISO: .247
wRC+: 106
wSB: +0.1
Diaz is another hitter with a strong power-contact relationship. His strikeout rate is low for a hitter with a .247 ISO.
However, he walks very infrequently, which damages his K-BB% and helps explain the modest 106 wRC+.
Overall: Young aggressive hitter with useful power and contact but limited plate discipline.

Jaron Elkins — LAD
21 years old, A
BB%: 10.3%
K%: 24.1%
K-BB%: 13.8%
ISO: .258
wRC+: 150
wSB: +1.6
Elkins has:
Solid .258 ISO
Double-digit walk rate
Strong 150 wRC+
Positive baserunning
His strikeout rate is somewhat elevated but not extreme.
Overall: Strong broad production, but the age-level advantage is smaller than that of the players above him.

Today’s hat is coming to us from the Pacific Northwest. This is a batting practice hat for the Everett AquaSox, the high A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. There’s the Red Sox and the White Sox but don’t you dare forget the AquaSox!!

Today we head up to New Hampshire for our hat. This is a theme night for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. This is the Coconut Chicken Tenders! I have the original chicken tenders hat also but this one is just incredibly fun and silly.

Hi there!

I'm new to reddit! I'm posting because I missed the IronPigs jersey auction after the June 16 Strike Out Cancer game, and I'm hoping to find one of the 2026 Strike Out Cancer jerseys with the names patterned across the uniform.

My mother's name is included on the jersey, so having one would mean a great deal to me. I understand this is a long shot, but if you happen to know any winners who might be willing to sell, or if you have any leads at all, I would be truly grateful.

Thank you very much for any help you can offer.

Michelle

Hi Everybody!

I have the mini helmet standings boars for the International League, and I was wondering if they existed for the Pacific Coast League and possibly even for Double A teams? Does anyone know if they exist?

It's All Star Pause Week and something should be done to keep the pulse of the sub going. In a civil manner, of course.

Some of the close by teams that survived the 2020 reorganization have to be up there. Durham/Charlotte, New Hampshire/Portland, SWB/Lehigh Valley, and some of the California League teams have to be up there near the top.

Have some of the newer ones taken hold? I would think the Asheville/Greenville/Hub City triangle and Greensboro/Winston-Salem could have legs going forward to name two.

Today we go back to a Copa hat that I think has since been retired but this was a cool hat nonetheless. This is a Copa hat from the Midland Rockhounds, AA affiliate of the Athletics. This one is known as the Matamoscas de Midessa. Matamoscas means Fly Killer in Spanish.