List of Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates

Chicago
Cubs

Iowa Cubs

Tennessee Smokies

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

South Bend Cubs

ACL Cubs

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Current Chicago Cubs domestic minor league affiliate locations

The Chicago Cubs farm system consists of seven Minor League Baseball affiliates across the United States and in the Dominican Republic. Four teams are independently owned, while the Arizona Complex League Cubs and the two Dominican Summer League Cubs teams are owned by the major league club.

The Cubs have been affiliated with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs of the Triple-A East since 1981, making it the longest-running active affiliation in the organization among teams not owned by the Cubs.^[1] It is also the longest affiliation in the team's history. Their newest affiliates are the High-A South Bend Cubs of the High-A Central and the Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Low-A East, which became Cubs affiliates in 2015.

Geographically, Chicago's closest domestic affiliate is the South Bend Cubs, which are approximately 75 miles (121 km) away. Chicago's furthest domestic affiliate is the Arizona League Cubs, which are some 1,437 miles (2,313 km) away.

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.^[2]

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.^[4]

On June 30, 2020, it was announced that the 160 minor league baseball teams' seasons were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[5] This marked the first time in the history of Minor League Baseball that a season had been canceled.^[5]

† Shared an affiliation with the Kansas City Royals.
‡ Shared an affiliation with the Colorado Rockies.
* Shared an affiliation with the Texas Rangers.
** Shared an affiliation with the San Diego Padres.

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.^[4]

1922–1962[]

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.^[4]

References[]

External links[]

• Major League Baseball Prospect News: Chicago Cubs
• Baseball-Reference: Chicago Cubs League Affiliations
• BR Bullpen: Chicago Cubs Minor League Affiliates