Philadelphia
Phillies

Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Reading Fightin Phils

Jersey Shore BlueClaws

Current Philadelphia Phillies northeastern minor league affiliate locations

The Philadelphia Phillies farm system consists of seven Minor League Baseball affiliates across the United States and in the Dominican Republic. The Phillies' highest level of Minor League play is the Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley IronPigs, who play their home games 52 miles (84 km) north-northwest of Philadelphia at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown.

History

On April 14, 1934, the Phillies entered into their first affiliation agreement with the New York–Penn League Hazleton Mountaineers.^[1] The Phillies have been affiliated with the High-A Jersey Shore BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League since 2001, making it the longest-running active affiliation in the organization among teams not owned by the Phillies.^[2] Their newest affiliate is the Lehigh Valley IronPigs of the International League, which became the Phillies' Triple-A club in 2008.

Geography

Geographically, the Phillies' closest domestic affiliate is the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs of the International League, which play at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 58 miles (93 km) north-northwest of Philadelphia. Philadelphia's furthest domestic affiliates are the Single-A Clearwater Threshers of the Florida State League and Florida Complex League Phillies of the Florida Complex League, both of which play at BayCare Ballpark some 1,049 miles (1,688 km) away in Clearwater, Florida.

2021–present

The current structure of Minor League Baseball is the result of an overall contraction of the system beginning with the 2021 season. Class A was reduced to two levels: High-A and Low-A. Class A Short Season teams and domestic Rookie League teams that operated away from spring training facilities were eliminated. Low-A was reclassified as Single-A in 2022.^[3]

1990–2020

Minor League Baseball operated with six classes from 1990 to 2020. The Class A level was subdivided for a second time with the creation of Class A-Advanced. The Rookie level consisted of domestic and foreign circuits.^[5]

1963–1989

The foundation of the minors' current structure was the result of a reorganization initiated by Major League Baseball (MLB) before the 1963 season. The reduction from six classes to four (Triple-A, Double-AA, Class A, and Rookie) was a response to the general decline of the minors throughout the 1950s and early-1960s when leagues and teams folded due to shrinking attendance caused by baseball fans' preference for staying at home to watch MLB games on television. The only change made within the next 27 years was Class A being subdivided for the first time to form Class A Short Season in 1966.^[5]

1934–1962

The minors operated with six classes (Triple-A, Double-A, and Classes A, B, C, and D) from 1946 to 1962. The Pacific Coast League (PCL) was reclassified from Triple-A to Open in 1952 due to the possibility of becoming a third major league. This arrangement ended following the 1957 season when the relocation of the National League's Dodgers and Giants to the West Coast killed any chance of the PCL being promoted. The 1963 reorganization resulted in the Eastern and South Atlantic Leagues being elevated from Class A to Double-A, five of seven Class D circuits plus the ones in B and C upgraded to A, and the Appalachian League reclassified from D to Rookie.^[5]