Independent baseball arrives on Staten Island as Yankees partnership ends, paving way for new team
Staten Island Yankees Bid Farewell to Minor League Baseball
After a 21-year run, the Staten Island Yankees, a Class A Short Season affiliate of the New York Yankees, have ceased to exist as a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team following the 2020 season. The team's demise is a result of Major League Baseball's (MLB) developmental restructuring program, which discontinued many short-season teams, including Staten Island's.
The Staten Island Yankees, who played in the New York-Penn League, are no longer present on current schedules or rosters. The 2025 and 2026 New York Yankees major league schedules indicate no minor league games in Staten Island, reflecting the team's absence from the reorganized system.
However, the Yankees have ensured that professional baseball will continue in Staten Island. They are bringing a new franchise from the reconfigured Atlantic League to the borough. The team will play in the Atlantic League, an independent professional league now working with MLB.
The Yankees' decision to move away from a high single-A team on Staten Island was due to concerns about developing players effectively in the new system. The Staten Island Advance and Baseball America reported on the Staten Island Yankees' move.
The new Atlantic League team in Staten Island is expected to begin play next year. The team will not be based in Staten Island, but in Somerset County, New Jersey, where the Staten Island Yankees, formerly affiliated with the Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Bronx Bombers, are being moved.
The Yankees have expressed their appreciation for the support of the people of Staten Island and their commitment to working with MLB, the City of New York Economic Development Corporation, and Staten Island Borough President Oddo to ensure the new Atlantic League team's presence in the borough. The team considers Staten Island to be a part of their family.
The Staten Island Yankees, who enjoyed great success, winning six New York-Penn League championships between 2000 and 2011, and producing major league talent such as Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner, Wily Mo Pena, Chien-Ming Wang, and Mark Melancon, played their first two seasons at the College of Staten Island before moving into the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, a short distance from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George, in 2001.
The New York-Penn League, where the Staten Island Yankees and Brooklyn Cyclones (New York Mets affiliate) currently play, is being converted into a special summer wood-bat league for college freshmen and sophomore players, taking it out of the professional ranks. The fate of the Brooklyn Cyclones remains uncertain, though it was reported that the Mets might move their double-A team in Binghamton to Brooklyn.
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