Frederick, MD (August 1, 2025) – Attain Sports announced today a reorganization within its baseball portfolio. Beginning with the 2026 season, the Baltimore Orioles' High-A affiliate will relocate to Frederick, while the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft League team will relocate to Aberdeen. The team names and identities—the Frederick Keys and the Aberdeen IronBirds—will remain in their respective cities; only the leagues in which the teams play are changing as part of this strategic realignment.
Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium, home of the Frederick Keys, will be fully renovated prior to the start of the 2026 season. These improvements—made in the spirit of a public/private partnership among the City of Frederick, the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA), and Attain Sports—will ensure the ballpark is in compliance with the facility standards of the MLB Professional Development Leagues (PDL) and provide an elevated experience for players, fans, and the community. The renovation makes Frederick a natural choice to host affiliated professional baseball at the High-A level.
With this move, the Frederick Keys are returning to affiliated baseball for the first time since 2020—a milestone that reconnects the franchise with its long-standing relationship with the Baltimore Orioles. This transition marks an exciting new chapter for the Keys and Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium, as the team reenters the PDL system and brings Minor League Baseball back to Frederick.
“We are thrilled that affiliated baseball is returning to Frederick,” Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias said. “The Frederick community and fans have always been strong supporters of the Orioles, and we look forward to building on a 30-year partnership with the Keys.”
Frederick’s baseball legacy runs deep: the city was a founding member of the Blue Ridge League, which operated from 1915 to 1930. During that era, the team—known at various times as the Hustlers, Champs, and Warriors—captured League championships in 1915 and 1921. More recently, the Frederick Keys served as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles from 1989 to 2020, becoming a beloved fixture in the community and a vital part of the Orioles’ farm system.
Attain Sports announced its plans to renovate Harry Grove Stadium on August 30, 2024, in collaboration with MSA and the City of Frederick. That commitment was reaffirmed with the construction groundbreaking on May 14, 2025, marking a major milestone in the return of affiliated baseball to Frederick. The planned upgrades will bring enhancements to both player and fan experiences, including new home and visitor clubhouses, state-of-the-art batting cages, new bullpens, an expanded concourse, and additional fan seating options. While the renovations are primarily designed to support the Frederick Keys in meeting MLB PDL facility standards, the team is also exploring ways to activate the stadium year-round, offering new opportunities for community use during the offseason.
“The return of affiliated baseball marks a historic milestone for the City of Frederick,” said Greg Baroni, Founder and CEO of Attain Sports. “We’re honored to support Frederick in realizing its vision of bringing a Baltimore Orioles Minor League affiliate back home and we’re excited for what this next chapter will bring.”
The MLB Draft League—a six-team league featuring a unique split-season format—will have a new home in Aberdeen, a community well-positioned to support the Draft League’s mission. The first half of the season showcases draft-eligible players aiming to elevate their position ahead of the annual MLB Draft in July. In the second half, the Draft League transitions to a professional format, with rosters comprised of paid players continuing their development.
As a Draft League team, Aberdeen will play from June through the first week of September, a structure that mirrors its history as a Class-A Short Season team in the New York-Penn League from 2002 until 2020. This transition enables the IronBirds and Ripken Stadium to build on their strong legacy of player development, while continuing to give fans a front-row seat to the game’s rising stars. Attain Sports is pleased to continue hosting professional baseball in Aberdeen and is excited to bring the Draft League to this storied baseball community starting in the 2026 season.
Since its inception, the MLB Draft League has helped launch more than 400 players into professional baseball, including 81 players selected in the 2025 MLB Draft alone, 12 of whom played for the Frederick Keys—further underscoring the League’s growing influence and the remarkable opportunity it provides for players and fans alike.
“We are thrilled to continue hosting baseball at Ripken Stadium and deeply value the Aberdeen community and its loyal fans,” Baroni added. “This reorganization reflects our unwavering belief in the power of baseball to inspire, connect, and unite communities. We remain fully committed to honoring the legacy of baseball in both Frederick and Aberdeen by delivering affordable, family-friendly entertainment and the spirit of America’s pastime for generations to come.”
In addition to baseball, Attain Sports is dedicated to leveraging Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium and Ripken Stadium as year-round hubs for community engagement, hosting concerts, holiday celebrations, and a variety of other special events that provide meaningful opportunities for community use and benefit.
