List of Boston Red Sox minor league affiliates

Worcester Red Sox

Portland Sea Dogs

Salem Red Sox

Greenville Drive

GCL Red Sox

Boston
Red Sox

Current Boston Red Sox domestic minor league affiliate locations

JetBlue Park, home ballpark of the Gulf Coast League Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB) maintain a farm system consisting of four Minor League Baseball affiliates across the United States. Additionally, the Red Sox own and operate complex-based rookie level squads playing in the Gulf Coast League in Florida and the Dominican Summer League in the Dominican Republic.

Of the non-complex based teams, the Portland Sea Dogs have been a Red Sox affiliate since 2003, the Greenville Drive have been an affiliate since 2005, the Salem Red Sox have been an affiliate since 2009, and the Worcester Red Sox are entering their debut season in 2021. The Worcester Red Sox succeeded the Pawtucket Red Sox, who were a Red Sox affiliate from 1970 through 2020.^[a] The Salem Red Sox are owned by Fenway Sports Group, who also own the major league club, while the other three affiliates are independently owned.

Geographically, Worcester is Boston's closest domestic affiliate, located approximately 45 miles (72 km) from Fenway Park. Boston's furthest domestic affiliate is the Fenway South-based GCL Red Sox, located some 1,247 miles (2,007 km) away.

List of affiliates by season[]

The below tables list Red Sox affiliates for each season since the team established its first such relationship. Sections are grouped by era, based on changes in minor league classifications. Instances of the Red Sox sharing an affiliate with other MLB teams are independently counted in parenthesis, with the partner team(s) listed in an endnote.

1928–1945[]

Major league teams had affiliate relationships with minor league teams as early as 1920, when the Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals each had a farm team in the Texas League.^[1]: 278 The first team that had an affiliate relationship with the Red Sox was the Salem Witches of the New England League in 1928.^[1]: 312

Prior to 1946, Double-A was the highest level of play in the minor leagues. Additional classifications were A through D, each of which was used by the Red Sox. Class A1 was created in 1936 and existed through 1945, and was also used by the Red Sox for several seasons. One Class E league existed in 1943, but was not used by the Red Sox.

1946–1962[]

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 ended any chance of the PCL being promoted.^[2]

Year	Triple-A	Double-A	Class A	Class B	Class C	Class D	No./Ref.
1946	Louisville Colonels	New Orleans Pelicans	Scranton Red Sox	Lynn Red Sox Roanoke Red Sox	Durham Bulls Oneonta Red Sox	Geneva Red Birds Milford Red Sox New Iberia Cardinals Tarboro Tars	11[1]: 407
1947	Louisville Colonels Toronto Maple Leafs	New Orleans Pelicans	Scranton Red Sox	Lynn Red Sox Roanoke Red Sox	Oneonta Red Sox San Jose Red Sox	Milford Red Sox Wellsville Nitros	10[1]: 416
1948	Louisville Colonels	Birmingham Barons	Scranton Red Sox	Lynn Red Sox Roanoke Red Sox	Auburn Cayugas El Paso Texans Oneonta Red Sox San Jose Red Sox	Milford Red Sox Oroville Red Sox Valley Rebels Wellsville Nitros	13[1]: 426
1949	Louisville Colonels	Birmingham Barons	Scranton Red Sox	Roanoke Red Sox	Oneonta Red Sox San Jose Red Sox	Hornell Maple Leafs Marion Red Sox Valley Rebels	9[1]: 436
1950	Louisville Colonels	Birmingham Barons	Scranton Red Sox	Roanoke Red Sox	Oneonta Red Sox San Jose Red Sox	Kinston Eagles Marion Red Sox	8[1]: 446
1951	Louisville Colonels	Birmingham Barons	Scranton Red Sox	Roanoke Ro-Sox	Oneonta Red Sox San Jose Red Sox	High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms Marion Red Sox	8[1]: 455
1952	Louisville Colonels	Birmingham Barons	Albany Senators	Roanoke Ro-Sox	San Jose Red Sox	High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms	6[1]: 465
1953	Louisville Colonels	—	Albany Senators	Greensboro Patriots Roanoke Ro-Sox	San Jose Red Sox	Salisbury Rocots	6[1]: 473
1954	Louisville Colonels	—	Albany Senators	Greensboro Patriots	San Jose Red Sox	Bluefield Blue-Grays Corning Red Sox	6[1]: 479
1955	Louisville Colonels	—	Montgomery Rebels	Greensboro Patriots	San Jose Red Sox	Bluefield Blue-Grays Corning Red Sox	6[1]: 486
1956	San Francisco Seals	Oklahoma City Indians	Albany Senators	Greensboro Patriots	San Jose JoSox	Corning Red Sox Lafayette Red Sox Lexington Red Sox	8[1]: 491
1957	San Francisco Seals	Oklahoma City Indians	Albany Senators	Greensboro Patriots	—	Corning Red Sox Lafayette Red Sox Lexington Red Sox	7[1]: 496
1958	Minneapolis Millers	Memphis Chickasaws	Allentown Red Sox	Raleigh Capitals	—	Corning Red Sox Lexington Red Sox Waterloo Hawks	7[1]: 500
1959	Minneapolis Millers	—	Allentown Red Sox	Raleigh Capitals	—	Alpine Cowboys Corning Cor-Sox Waterloo Hawks	6[1]: 505
1960	Minneapolis Millers	—	Allentown Red Sox	Raleigh Capitals	—	Alpine Cowboys Corning Red Sox Waterloo Hawks	6[1]: 509
1961	Seattle Rainiers	—	Johnstown Red Sox	Winston-Salem Red Sox	—	Alpine Cowboys Olean Red Sox Waterloo Hawks	6[1]: 513
1962	Seattle Rainiers	—	York White Roses	Winston-Salem Red Sox	Pocatello Chiefs	Olean Red Sox Waterloo Hawks	6[1]: 517

Open classification (used by the PCL during 1952–1957)
Sources:^[3][4]

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 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. The only change made within the next 27 years was some Class A teams adopting "Short Season" schedules starting in 1965.^[2][b]

Sources:^[6][7][8][9]

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.^[2] During several seasons, the Red Sox fielded two teams in the Dominican Summer League (DSL).

Sources:^{[26][27][28][29]}

For 2020, listed teams are those announced by the Red Sox prior to cancellation of the minor-league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[30]

2021–present[]

Prior to the 2021 season, Major League Baseball reorganized Minor League Baseball; changes included ending the Class A Short Season classification, and limiting each major league team to four affiliates above the Rookie level.^[31] Additionally, the composition and names of leagues above the Rookie level were changed.^[31]

For the Red Sox' farm system:^[32]

• The Worcester Red Sox succeeded the Pawtucket Red Sox as the Triple-A affiliate.^[33]
• The Lowell Spinners, who had been a Class A Short Season team, were dropped as an affiliate.^[34]
• The Greenville Drive and Salem Red Sox swapped relative classification levels, with Greenville moving from Single-A to "High-A", and Salem moving from Class A-Advanced to "Low-A".^[35]

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Major League Baseball Prospect News: Boston Red Sox
• Baseball-Reference: Boston Red Sox League Affiliations
• BR Bullpen: Boston Red Sox Minor League Affiliates