OAKLAND, Calif. – The Oakland Athletics have invited the Las Vegas Aviators, Midland RockHounds, Lansing Lugnuts, and Stockton Ports as their minor league affiliates for the 2021 season.

"On behalf of the A's, I am excited to invite four outstanding organizations to partner with us under MLB's new player development structure,” said A’s General Manager David Forst. “We are proud to have already been affiliated with three of these communities, and are thrilled to welcome another into the A’s player development family. We know how much minor league baseball was missed in 2020 and look forward to A's minor leaguers playing in Las Vegas, Midland, Lansing, and Stockton for many years to come."

The Las Vegas Aviators won the Pacific Coast League Southern Division in 2019 in their first year as an Oakland partner. The club moved into Las Vegas Ballpark, a brand-new facility in the Downtown Summerlin area in Las Vegas, in 2019.

Forst said of the Aviators: “In Las Vegas, Don Logan and the Howard Hughes Corporation welcomed us to a brand-new ballpark in 2019, and we can't think of a better place for our Triple-A team to be than in Summerlin.”

The Midland RockHounds have won six titles during their 23-year affiliation with the A’s.

Forst said of the RockHounds: “Miles Prentice and Monty Hoppel in Midland have been loyal partners for over 20 seasons now, and we look forward to another 20 years of A's minor leaguers wearing RockHounds jerseys.”

The Lansing Lugnuts have been invited to be the Athletics’ High-A affiliate. The Lugnuts spent 16 years as an affiliate in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

Forst said of the Lugnuts: “We look forward to welcoming our newest partner, Tom Dickson and the Lansing Lugnuts, one of the premier organizations in minor league baseball, with a fantastic ballpark in Jackson Field and an incredibly supportive community to add to the A's system.”

Athletics’ Low-A will welcome the Stockton Ports, who won the league title in 2008.

Forst said of the Ports: “In Stockton, Tom Volpe and Pat Filippone have taken excellent care of our players just up the road from Oakland over the last 16 seasons, and we're excited to continue our partnership with them.”

The A’s will also have the Arizona League Athletics that will be based out of the Lew Wolff Training Complex in Mesa, Arizona.

AFFILIATE QUOTE SHEET

LAS VEGAS AVIATORS
Don Logan
President & Chief Operations Officer

We are pleased to learn that the Oakland A’s have chosen to affiliate with the Aviators. We look forward to the possibility of renewing our relationship with them once a deal is reached between MLB and its Minor League partners. The Aviators are among the very best franchises in Minor League Baseball and look forward to once again bringing exciting Pacific Coast League baseball to the fans in southern Nevada.

MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS
Miles Prentice
Co-Owner & President

We’ve always known that West Texas is a perfect match for Minor League Baseball, and our affiliation with the Oakland A’s has built a tremendous tradition. We are glad the A’s want to extend our affiliation. The RockHounds / A’s era has produced six Texas League championships since 2005, a remarkable accomplishment. The very first team, in 1999, produced a Cy Young Award winner (Barry Zito) and two of our alums, Matt Chapman and Matt Olson, are among the top young players in Major League Baseball.

Monty Hoppel
General Manager

The RockHounds are blessed with a tremendous fan base and an incredible, two-decade relationship with the Oakland A’s. We are so fortunate to be asked to extend our affiliation with an organization that so greatly values both on-field success and quality people. Our affiliation has been one of the longest in professional baseball and is based on a mutual commitment to excellence. We’re grateful to the A’s for their commitment to our franchise and the West Texas community.

LANSING LUGNUTS
Tom Dickson
Owner & Managing Partner

This would be an exciting move for us, to embark on our 25th season by moving up to High-A. Our players work hard every year for a promotion. This year our whole organization may very well be getting a promotion in addition to joining one of Major League Baseball’s storied franchises in the Athletics, with nine World Series titles and a host of greats enshrined in Cooperstown. We look forward to reviewing the terms of the invitation to ensure that we are doing what is best for Lansing and Lugnuts fans.

Andy Schor
Mayor of Lansing

The Lansing Lugnuts are an incredible organization and an anchor in Lansing and throughout mid-Michigan. We are excited for this potential next stage, and to be an affiliate with a wonderful team and City of Oakland, California. We look forward to the next phase and future of Minor League Baseball here in Lansing.

STOCKTON PORTS
Pat Filippone
President

We are excited to be invited to continue our 16-year partnership with the Oakland Athletics. We look forward to the 2021 California League season.

HISTORY OF ATHLETICS AFFILIATES

Triple-A
Las Vegas (2019-present), Nashville (2015‐18), Sacramento (2000‐14), Vancouver (1999), Edmonton (1995‐1998), Tacoma (1981‐1994), Ogden (1979‐80), Vancouver (1978), San Jose (1977), Tucson (1973‐76), Iowa (1969‐72), and Vancouver (1968)

Double-A
Midland (1999-present), Huntsville (1985-1998), Albany-Colonie (1984), Albany (1983), West Haven (1980-1982), Waterbury (1979), Jersey City (1978), Chattanooga (1976-1977), and Birmingham (1968-1975)

High-A
Lansing (2021 invite), Stockton (2005-19), Modesto (1990-2004), and Visalia (1997-2002)

Low-A
(Stockton 2021), Beloit (2013-2019), Burlington (2011-2012), Kane County (2003-2010), West Michigan (1994-1996), Madison (1982-1993), Modesto (1975-1989), Burlington (1968-1974), Peninsula (1968), Leesburg (1968), and Lodi (1968)