Minor League Preview
Lehigh IronPigs open new season in May in a new league and new division in MLB’s new Player Development System.
Minor league baseball has been restructured into 11 new leagues across four levels by Major League Baseball in 2021. New model includes changes in league names and affiliations, player salary increases, modernized facility standards and reduced travel. Opening day for the Pigs was originally scheduled for April 6 but was delayed approximately four weeks.
New League
The Phillies and Lehigh Valley had been involved in the International League since 2008. Under the new PDS, the league has a new name, Triple-A East. A total of 20 teams are divided into three divisions.
Northeast Division
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays)
Rochester Red Wings (Nationals)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees)
Syracuse Mets
Worcester Red Sox (formerly the Pawtucket Red Sox).
Seven teams each comprise the Midwest and Southeast Divisions.
The Pacific Coast League is now Triple-A West with two divisions of five teams each.
Schedule
Season opener is Tuesday night, May 4 against Rochester at Coca-Cola Park. Following the first homestand, the Pigs have 12 games on the road, six each in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Syracuse. The season will end September 19. There will be no postseason games.
The IronPigs will be playing a 120-game season (60 home), all against their Northeast Division foes. Each series will be six games in length. Mondays are a universal day off for the entire league.
For the complete schedule, ticket availability, health and safety protocols, manager, coaching staff, team roster, news, merchandise and broadcast information visit www.milb.com/lehighvalley.
Minor League Lab
Triple-A leagues will use larger bases this season, an experimental rule by MLB’s Competition Committee and the Playing Rules Committee. The size of first, second and third base will increase from 15 inches square to 18 inches square. Increase in size is aimed at reducing player injuries and collisions. Committees also expect the shorter distances between bases created by increased size to have a modest impact on the success rate of stolen base attempts and the frequency with which a batter-runner reaches base on groundballs and bunt attempts.
Alternate Site
For the second straight year, Coca-Cola Park is the Alternate Training Site for the Phillies. That arrangement ends when the IronPigs season begins.
Phillies Triple-A History
The Toronto Maple Leafs were the Phillies first AAA affiliate (International League, 1948–1950). A total of 15 other cities were affiliates until 2008 when the Phillies settled in Allentown.
Details of all the Phillies minor league teams since 1936 are included in “Life In The Minors, 5th Annual Phillies Minor League Digest” that will be on sale at Coca-Cola Park. The book written by Steve Potter and Larry Shenk also includes features on Phillies Alumni, current minor league players, executives, broadcasters and over 170 photographs. Tom McCarthy penned the foreword.
Proceeds from the books sold at Coca-Cola Park will benefit the IronPigs Charities.
