How Many Baseball Teams Does Texas Have?
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How Many Baseball Teams Does Texas Have?
The answer is simple. There are eight teams in total. However, only six of them are located in the state.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is made up of 30 teams, 29 of which are located in the United States and 1 in Canada. Of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball, 2 are located in Texas. These two teams are the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.
The Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park since 2000. The team was established as the Houston Colt .45s and began play in 1962 as an expansion team along with the New York Mets. The current name—reflecting Houston’s role as the control center of the U.S. Space program—was adopted three years later when they moved into the Astrodome, which opened in 1965 as the world’s first multi-purpose domed sports stadium.
The Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team based in Arlington, Texas, located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Rangers franchise competes in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1994, the Rangers have played their home games at Globe Life Field in Arlington. The team’s name is derived from the famous law enforcement agency of the same name.
The franchise was established in 1961 as the Washington Senators, an expansion team awarded to Washington, D.C., after the city’s first attempt to gain an MLB franchise—the Washington Nationals—franchise relocate to Minnesota and become the Twins. After the 1971 season, the new Senators moved to Arlington, and debuted as the Rangers the following spring.
Minor League Baseball
Texas is home to seven Minor League Baseball teams. These teams are affiliates of Major League Baseball teams and provide developmental opportunities for young players. The teams in Texas are the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Frisco RoughRiders, the San Antonio Missions, the Midland RockHounds, the Amarillo Sod Poodles, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, and the Springfield Cardinals.
The Corpus Christi Hooks
The Corpus Christi Hooks are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and play their home games at Whataburger Field which opened in 2005 and holds up to 10,325 people. The team is named for the long-running regional fast-food chain, Whataburger. The Hooks won back-to-back PCL championships in 2014 and 2015.
The Frisco RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Frisco, Texas, and play their home games at Dr Pepper Ballpark which opened in 2003 and can seat up to 10,446 fans. The team is currently managed by Corey Ragsdale and plays in the South Division of the Texas League.
The Midland RockHounds
The Midland RockHounds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Midland, Texas. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, and plays in the South Division of the Texas League. The team was founded in 1972 as the Topeka Toros.
In 1975, they became known as the San Angelo Rangers before relocating to Midland in 1976 and becoming known as the Midland Cubs. They took their current name, “RockHounds”, prior to the 1999 season. Their home ballpark since 2002 has been Security Bank Ballpark, located off Interstate 20 west of Downtown Midland.
The San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in San Antonio, Texas, and play their home games at Nelson Wolff Stadium which opened in 1994 and seats over 8,200 fans. The Missions were founded in 1888 as a charter member of the then-major Texas League.
The team has won ten league championships, most recently in 2013 when they defeated the Oklahoma City Dodgers to claim the title. The Missions have also been Triple-A affiliates of the Cleveland Indians (1962–1968), Pittsburgh Pirates (1969–1972), San Diego Padres (1973–1977), Seattle Mariners (1978–1982), Houston Astros (1983–1988), and Chicago White Sox (1989–1991).
Independent League Baseball
Independent league baseball in the United States is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. These leagues are organized in loosely defined geographic regions, and the teams are not owned by large entities such as corporations or media conglomerates.
The Amarillo Sod Poodles
The Amarillo Sod Poodles are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in Amarillo, Texas, and play their home games at Hodgetown.
The Sugar Land Skeeters
The Sugar Land Skeeters are an American professional baseball team based in Sugar Land, Texas, in the Greater Houston metropolitan area. The Skeeters compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. They are the only independent baseball team in Texas; they are not affiliated with any MLB team. The team plays its home games at Constellation Field, which it shares with the Sugar Land Imperials of the Atlantic League.
