Meet the Triple-A East Northeast Division

The 2021 season begins in just 12 days! This year, the Omaha Storm Chasers are part of a new Triple-A league, Triple-A East.

Triple-A East is one of the new leagues in Minor League Baseball formed as a result of the contraction of Minor League Baseball following the renegotiation of the Professional Baseball Agreement after its expiration in September of 2020. Triple-A East includes teams that previously played in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, the Triple-A International League, the Double-A Southern League, and the independent American Association. Triple-A East includes 20 teams and is divided into three divisions: Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast. There will be limited inter-divisional play in 2021 to mitigate travel. The Omaha Storm Chasers will only face teams in the Midwest Division during the 2021 season.

While the Storm Chasers won't face any of the six teams in the Northeast Division this season, here's a primer to get to know some of Omaha's future foes.

 

BUFFALO BISONS

The Buffalo Bisons are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays and have been since 2013. In addition to previously being members of the International League from 1998-2020, the Bisons were members of the American Association from 1985-1997.

Omaha has an all-time record of 89-119 (.428) against Buffalo across 208 regular season meetings between 1985 and 1997. The two teams also met in the postseason in 1995, when Buffalo defeated Omaha in the American Association Division Series, 3-1 in a best-of-five series.

The Bisons play their home games at Sahlen Field, which welcomed the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2020 season.

 

LEHIGH VALLEY IRONPIGS

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, located in Allentown, Pa., are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies and play their home games at Coca-Cola Park. The franchise has been a Phillies affiliate since 2007, but spent the first season of their partnership playing their final season at Ottowa Baseball Stadium in Ottowa, Ontario, Canada. The franchise, then known as Ottowa Lynx, became the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2008 when the frachise moved to Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pa.

While Omaha and Lehigh Valley have never faced, the Storm Chasers have previously played at Coca-Cola Park. In 2013, the Storm Chasers faced off against the Durham Bulls at Coca-Cola Park in the 2013 Triple-A National Championship Game, defeating the Bulls 2-1 to claim the franchise's first Triple-A National Championship.

 

ROCHESTER RED WINGS

The Rochester Red Wings are the new Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals after having been affiliated with the Minnesota Twins from 2003-2020 and play their home games at Frontier Field in Rochester, N.Y. When the St. Paul Saints became the new Twins' Triple-A affiliate following the 2020 season, Rochester signed on with the Washington Nationals, which had previously been partnered with the Fresno Grizzlies.

The franchise was founded in 1899, making it the oldest continuously operating sports franchise in North America below the Major League level. They've been named the Red Wings since 1929, and had been members of the International League since 1912 prior to the shift to Triple-A East.

Rochester and Omaha overlapped briefly during the Triple-A alliance years from 1988-1991, with Omaha holding an 8-7 edge all-time. The two teams also squared off in the 1990 Triple-A Classic, which pitted the American Association champion against the International League champion. The Omaha Royals defeated the Rochester Red Wings, 4-1, in a best-of-seven series, which included a 12-inning, 5-4 win at Silver Stadium in Rochester in Game 3.

 

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE RAILRIDERS

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees and play their home games at PNC Park in Moosic, Pa.

The franchise has been affiliated with the Yankees since 2007, after serving as a Phillies affiliate from 1989-2006. The team arrived in Pennsylanvia in 1989 after relocating from Orchard Beach, Maine, where the franchise played for five seasons as the Maine Guides.

Omaha holds a 7-5 all-time record against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre across 12 meetings from 1989-1991 and a 3-2 all-time record against Maine across five games in 1988, the Guides' final season.

The RailRiders also lay claim to the longest team name in Minor League Baseball at 29 letters.

 

SYRACUSE METS

The Syracuse Mets are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets and have been since 2019. The franchise has been affiliated with nine other Major League teams since its inception in 1961, including Boston, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minnesota, New York (AL), Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Toronto, and most recently, Washington.

Omaha squared off with Syracuse in 17 regular-season matchups between 1988-1991, holding a dominant 14-3 (.824) all-time record. Syracuse, however, owns postseason bragging rights from the 1970 Junior World Series, defeating Omaha 4-1 in a best-of-seven series. After the first four games of the series were played in Syracuse, Game 5 was played a Rosenblatt Stadium and saw Syracuse win 5-3 in 11 innings to clinch the series.

 

WORCESTER RED SOX

The Worcester Red Sox, the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, are in their first season in Worcester, Ma. after spending the previous 46 seasons playing at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I. as the Pawtucket Red Sox.

While Omaha has yet to face the Worcester franchise, the Omaha went 10-6 against Pawtucket in 16 regular season matchups from 1988-1991. The Storm Chasers also defeated Pawtucket, 4-2, in the 2014 Triple-A National Championship Game held in Charlotte, N.C.