The Braves invited the Gwinnett Stripers, Mississippi Braves, Rome Braves and Augusta GreenJackets to become the organization’s four minor-league affiliates, the team announced Wednesday. The changes are part of Major League Baseball’s player development restructuring that will begin next season.
“We are excited to invite these four teams to be part of the Braves player development system,” said Chip Moore, the Braves’ executive vice president of minor league affiliates and strategic planning, in a news release. “The potential of having our four affiliates all within Braves Country allows our fans to follow their favorite players as they develop from prospects to major leaguers.”
The Stripers would continue as the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, which would extend their streak as the longest-running affiliation in professional baseball to 56 years. The club was located in Richmond from 1966 to 2008 before relocating to Lawrenceville. The Gwinnett Braves were renamed the Stripers in 2018.
Mississippi has been the organization’s Double-A affiliate since 2005. The M-Braves are in Pearl, Mississippi, and play at Trustmark Park. Rome would be the Braves’ High-A affiliate after serving as the Low-A affiliate since 2003. Retaining Rome gives the organization another minor-league club in its backyard.
Augusta would be the organization’s lone newcomer as its Low-A team. The GreenJackets, formed in 1988, have been a minor-league affiliate of the Giants since 2005. They play at SRP Park in North Augusta, S.C.
Half the Braves’ affiliates – Gwinnett and Rome – would be within roughly 60 miles of Truist Park. SRP Park is approximately 160 miles away, while Trustmark Park is just over 380 miles.
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