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Blue Jays: A Look at the MiLB Stadiums in the system

By Ben Steiner

LAKELAND, FL- MARCH 02: A general view from the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium on March 2, 2016 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
LAKELAND, FL- MARCH 02: A general view from the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium on March 2, 2016 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – MARCH 28: Jordy Mercer #7 of the Detroit Tigers bats in the third inning on Opening Day during MLB game action as Marcus Stroman #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch at Rogers Centre on March 28, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – MARCH 28: Jordy Mercer #7 of the Detroit Tigers bats in the third inning on Opening Day during MLB game action as Marcus Stroman #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch at Rogers Centre on March 28, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

The Blue Jays have an extensive minor league system and boast some of baseball’s best prospects. While the product on the field is exceptional, that’s not what I will focus on today.

This article won’t be about the on-field product, but more the field itself and the stadiums that house them.

We’ll start from the bottom in Bluefield, and work our way up to the top of the minors with Buffalo throughout this article.

Bluefield Blue Jays (Rookie)- Bowen Field

The Bluefield Blue Jays are the lowest ballclub in the Blue Jays’ farm system, and most draft picks actually skip this level. Despite many players never playing here, it is still home to one of the most successful minor league franchises. The Bluefield Blue Jays have won the Appalachian league title a whopping fourteen times, and have done so in a charming little municipal stadium.

At a capacity of 3,000 fans, Bowen field is one of the smaller venues in the Appalachian League. However, what it lacks in size it makes up for in personality. The ballpark is the epitome of minor league baseball in small-town America. First constructed in 1939, it had to be rebuilt in the 70’s due to a fire.  Today, a trip to Bowen Park will bring you back in time to old school baseball; and is one of the cosiest fields in the minor league. Fans who have visited the stadium describe it as “small, cheerful and family friendly.”

Overall, it is a true minor league stadium, but it almost too small for professional baseball.

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