Milestones
Formed: 1938 (Re-branded from New York-Pennsylvania League)
Status: Active
First Game:
Seasons:
States & Provinces: 15
(CT, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, ONT, PA, QUE, RI, VA, VT, WV)
Leadership
Trophy Case
Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award
| Year | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Jim Ray Hart | Third Baseman | Springfield Giants |
| 1963 | Bob Chance | First Baseman | Charleston Indians |
| 1964 | Frank Bertaina | Pitcher | Elmira Pioneers |
| 1965 | Owen Johnson | Catcher | Pittsfield Red Sox |
| 1966 | Tom Fisher | Pitcher | Elmira Pioneers |
| 1967 | Bernie Smith | Outfielder | Williamsport Mets |
| 1968 | Carmen Fanzone | Third Baseman | Pittsfield Red Sox |
| 1969 | Angel Mangual | Outfielder | York Pirates |
| 1970 | Greg Luzinski | First Baseman | Reading Phillies |
| 1971 | Gene Locklear | Outfielder | Trois-Rivieres Aigles |
| 1972 | Fernando Gonzalez | Third Baseman | Sherbrooke Pirates |
| 1973 | Tom Robson | First Baseman | Pittsfield Rangers |
| 1974 | Ken Macha | Catcher | Thetford Mines Pirates |
| 1975 | Dave Bergman | First Baseman | West Haven Yankees |
| 1976 | Danny Thomas | Outfielder | Berkshire Brewers |
| 1977 | Harry Spilman | First Baseman | Trois-Rivieres Aigles |
| 1978 | Jeff Yurak | Outfielder | Holyoke Millers |
| 1979 | Rick Lancellotti | Outfielder | Buffalo Bisons |
| 1980 | Mark Davis | Pitcher | Reading Phillies |
| 1981 | Ron Kittle | Outfielder | Glens Falls White Sox |
| 1982 | Jim Bennett | Outfielder | West Haven A's |
| 1983 | Jeff Stone | Outfielder | Reading Phillies |
| 1984 | Pat Adams | First Baseman | Glens Falls White Sox |
| 1985 | Cory Snyder | Third Baseman | Waterbury Indians |
| 1986 | Rafael Palmeiro | Outfielder | Pittsfield Cubs |
| 1987 | Mark Grace | First Baseman | Pittsfield Cubs |
| 1988 | Rob Richie | Outfielder | Glens Falls Tigers |
| 1989 | Wes Chamberlain | Outfielder | Harrisburg Senators |
| 1990 | Jeff Bagwell | Third Baseman | New Britain Red Sox |
| 1991 | Matt Stairs | Infielder | Harrisburg Senators |
| 1992 | Russ Davis | Third Baseman | Albany-Colonie Yankees |
| 1993 | Cliff Floyd | First Baseman | Harrisburg Senators |
| 1994 | Mark Grudzielanek | Shortstop | Harrisburg Senators |
| 1995 | Jay Payton | Outfielder | Binghamton Mets |
| 1996 | Vladimir Guerrero | Outfielder | Harrisburg Senators |
| 1997 | Kevin Millar | First Baseman | Portland Sea Dogs |
| 1998 | Calvin Pickering | First Baseman | Bowie Baysox |
| 1999 | Andy Tracy | Third Baseman | Harrisburg Senators |
| 2000 | Adam Hyzdu | Outfielder | Altoona Curve |
| 2001 | Marlon Byrd | Outfielder | Reading Phillies |
| 2002 | Victor Martinez | Catcher | Akron Aeros |
| 2003 | Alex Rios | Outfielder | New Haven Ravens |
| 2004 | Ryan Howard | First Baseman | Reading Phillies |
| 2005 | Mike Jacobs | First Baseman | Binghamton Mets |
| 2006 | Adam Lind | Outfielder | New Hampshire Fisher Cats |
| 2007 | Jordan Brown | First Baseman | Akron Aeros |
| 2008 | Lou Montanez | Outfielder | Bowie Baysox |
| 2009 | Carlos Santana | Catcher | Akron Aeros |
| 2010 | Brandon Laird | Third Baseman | Trenton Thunder |
| 2011 | Travis d'Arnaud | Catcher | New Hampshire Fisher Cats |
| 2012 | Darin Ruf | First Baseman | Reading Phillies |
| 2013 | Allan Dykstra | First Baseman | Binghamton Mets |
| 2014 | Steven Moya | Outfielder | Erie SeaWolves |
| 2015 | Brock Stassi | First Baseman | Reading Fightin' Phils |
| 2016 | Dylan Cozens | Outfielder | Reading Fightin' Phils |
| 2017 | Garabez Rosa | Outfielder | Bowie Baysox |
| 2018 | Cavan Biggio | Second Baseman | New Hampshire Fisher Cats |
| 2019 | Chris Gittens | First Baseman | Trenton Thunder |
| 2020 | Season Cancelled | COVID-19 Pandemic | |
| 2021 | Oswaldo Cabrera | Second Baseman | Somerset Patriots |
| 2022 | Quincy Nieporte | First Baseman | Erie SeaWolves |
Background
The Eastern League was part of the Class AA level of Minor League Baseball. The league officially traced its history to the formation of the New York-Pennsylvania League in 1923. It took the name Eastern League in 1938. Because FWiL primarily categorizes leagues by name, this page only contemplates Eastern League history since 1938, which we should note was a departure from the league’s own official record-keeping.
In its final alignment in the earl 21st century, the EL was clustered in its traditional home base of the Northeastern U.S., plus Ohio and parts of the mid-Atlantic. From early 1970’s to early 1990’s the EL sporadically included teams in the Eastern Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. But the circuit has not had a Canadian team in the 21st century.
2020 Shakeup
What would have been the Eastern League’s final season of play was cancelled by the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. On February 12, 2021, Major League Baseball summarily disbanded all of the historic league entities of the Minor League system, including the Eastern League.
11 of the 12 Eastern League franchises from the 2019 season were offered Professional Development League (PDL) licenses to continue on in the downsized and re-organized Minor League Baseball ecosystem. These eleven clubs joined the generically named “Double-A Northeast” league, along with the Somerset (NJ) Patriots, a former independent team offered a PDL by the New York Yankees at the expense of their former Eastern League affiliate, the Trenton Thunder.
The Thunder, champions of the Eastern League’s final season in 2019, were summarily exiled to the MLB Draft League, an amateur/collegiate league.
Eastern League Franchise List
| Franchise | Years Active | Eastern League Champions |
|---|---|---|
| Akron Aeros | 1997-2013 | 2003-2005-2009-2012 |
| Akron RubberDucks | 2014-Present | 2016 |
| Albany Senators | 1938-1959 | 1945-1954 |
| Albany-Colonie A's | 1983-1984 | None |
| Albany-Colonie Yankees | 1985-1994 | 1988-1989-1991 |
| Allentown Cardinals | 1954-1956 | 1955 |
| Allentown Red Sox | 1958-1960 | None |
| Altoona Curve | 1999-Present | 2010-2017 |
| Berkshire Brewers | 1976 | None |
| Binghamton Mets | 1992-2016 | 1992-1994-2014 |
| Binghamton Rumble Ponies | 2017-Present | None |
| Binghamton Triplets | 1938-1963 & 1967-1968 | 1940-1944-1949-1952-1953-1958-1967 |
| Bowie Baysox | 1993-Present | 2015 |
| Bristol Red Sox | 1973-1982 | 1975-1978-1981 |
| Canton-Akron Indians | 1989-1996 | None |
| Connecticut Defenders | 2006-2009 | None |
| Elmira Royals | 1971 | 1971 |
| Erie SeaWolves | 1999-Present | None |
| Glens Falls Tigers | 1986-1988 | None |
| Glens Falls White Sox | 1980-1985 | None |
| Hagerstown Suns | 1989-1992 | None |
| Hardware City Rock Cats | 1995-1996 | 2001 (Co-Champions; as New Britain Rock Cats) |
| Harrisburg Senators | 1987-Present | 1987-1993-1996-1997-1998-1999 |
| Hartford Chiefs | 1946-1952 | None |
| Hartford Yard Goats | 2016-Present | None |
| Holyoke Millers | 1977-1982 | 1980 |
| Jersey City A's | 1978 | None |
| Jersey City Indians | 1977 | None |
| Johnstown Red Sox | 1961 | None |
| Lancaster Red Roses | 1958-1961 | None |
| London Tigers | 1989-1993 | 1990 |
| Lynn Pirates | 1983 | None |
| Lynn Sailors | 1980-1982 | None |
| Manchester Yankees | 1969-1971 | None |
| Nashua Angels | 1983 | None |
| Nashua Pirates | 1984-1986 | None |
| New Britain Red Sox | 1983-1994 | 1983 |
| New Britain Rock Cats | 1996-2015 | 2001 (Co-Champions) |
| New Hampshire Fisher Cats | 2004-Present | 2004-2011-2018 |
| New Haven Ravens | 1994-2003 | 2000 |
| Norwich Navigators | 1995-2005 | 2002 |
| Pawtucket Indians | 1966-1967 | None |
| Pawtucket Red Sox | 1970-1972 | None |
| Pittsfield Cubs | 1985-1988 | None |
| Pittsfield Rangers | 1972-1975 | None |
| Pittsfield Red Sox | 1965-1969 | 1965 |
| Pittsfield Senators | 1970-1971 | None |
| Portland Sea Dogs | 1994-Present | 2006 |
| Quebec Carnavals | 1971-1975 | None |
| Quebec Metros | 1976-1977 | None |
| Reading Fightin' Phils | 2013-Present | None |
| Reading Phillies | 1967-2012 | 1968-1973-1995-2001 (co-champions) |
| Reading Red Sox | 1963-1964 | None |
| Richmond Flying Squirrels | 2010-Present | None |
| Sherbrooke Pirates | 1972-1973 | None |
| Somerset Patriots | 2021-Present | 2022 |
| Thetford Mines Miners | 1975 | None |
| Thetford Mines Pirates | 1974 | 1974 |
| Trenton Thunder | 1994-2019 | 2007-2008-2013 |
| Trois-Rivieres Aigles | 1971-1977 | None |
| Vermont Mariners | 1988 | None |
| Vermont Reds | 1984-1987 | 1984-1985-1986 |
| Waterbury A's | 1979 | None |
| Waterbury Angels | 1984 | None |
| Waterbury Dodgers | 1973-1976 | None |
| Waterbury Giants | 1966-1967 | None |
| Waterbury Giants | 1977-1978 | None |
| Waterbury Indians | 1968-1969 | None |
| Waterbury Indians | 1985-1986 | None |
| Waterbury Pirates | 1970-1971 | 1970 |
| Waterbury Reds | 1980-1983 | None |
| West Haven A's | 1981-1982 | 1982 |
| West Haven Whitecaps | 1980 | None |
| West Haven Yankees | 1972-1979 | 1972-1976-1977-1979 |
| Williamsport Bills | 1987-1991 | None |
| Williamsport Tigers | 1947-1949 & 1950-1951 | None |
| York Pirates | 1968-1969 | 1969 |
2 Responses
Missed Elmira Pioneers, UticA Blue Sox, Hartford Chiefs. Scenedicaty Blue Jays. Eastern League was A ball in the 40 ‘s and 50’s others :Williamsport,Scranton
Also missed the Springfield Giants, 1957-1965.