Lynchburg Hillcats receive invite to serve as Cleveland Indians Low-A affiliate

The Lynchburg Hillcats have been formally invited by the Cleveland Indians to become their new Low-A affiliate.

This announcement comes after a lengthy negotiation period in which Major League Baseball has engaged with clubs in an effort to modernize the traditional Minor League structure.The 2021 game schedule will be announced at a later date and is expected to consist of 132 games.

“Although the last nine months has featured many unknowns, we are excited at the prospect of remaining with the Indians, a team we’ve been affiliated with since 2015 and an organization that helped deliver a championship to the Hill City in 2017,” Hillcats President and General Manager Chris Jones said. “We appreciate Cleveland’s commitment to top-notch player development and working with us to keep professional baseball in Lynchburg for years to come. We can’t wait to host baseball games again at Bank of the James Stadium and do what we do best — provide affordable family fun to our passionate fans.”

The pending move to Low-A ends a 30-year run as an A-Adv. affiliate, when the Hillcats were members of the Carolina League.

Lynchburg was last a Low-A club in 1989 as a Boston Red Sox affiliate.

The new league name for 2021 and beyond is still being finalized.