Two Minor League teams in Iowa will take the field in a location where none of the minor leagues have played before. Some of the best talent in each system will be a good fit for the occasion.
The first Minor League game at the iconic Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa is set for 6:30 p.m. first Tuesday night in front of a crowd of thousands as well as an MLB Network viewing audience. Cedar Rapids Kernels, a subsidiary of the Minnesota Twins, and Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals) currently combine for eight top 30 odds.
Cedar Rapids have already captured the Western League title in the first half of the Western League, heading into the post-season, while the Quad City are aiming to capitalize on the home team magic that led the Chicago White Sox to a thrilling win over New York. The Yankees in their first game last year played at the MLB ballpark next to the movie’s sacred site.
The Kernels and River Bandits will each have throwback identities to the historic event, with Cedar Rapids taking the field as the Bunnies, honoring that city’s team from 1904-32, and Quad Cities becoming the Davenport Blue Sox in honor of the teams that played in the area at various times from 1913-1937 . Retro string sport will be your top 30 talent.
Cedar Rapids rabbits (kernel)
1b Aaron Sabato, Twins number 12 (MLB ETA: 2023)
27th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Sabato was a North Carolina strongman, setting a new record with 18 home runs. During his first 100 professional games, he doubled that number by 36 long balls, including 17 so far this season with the Kernels.
2B / From Alerick Soularie, Twins number 18 (MLB ETA: 2024)
Soularie can play anywhere on the field, as evidenced by his 10 games center and right as well as 2 left this year, as well as handling himself at second base, having played 40 times. After one run after Sabato in 2020, the Tennessee producer is playing his first full season after being limited to just 34 games due to injury last year.
RHP David Festa, Twins number 25 (MLB ETA: 2024)
After starting the year with 1.50 ERA in five starts for Single-A Fort Myers, Festa got the bump up to Cedar Rapids, where he was excellent. The 6-foot-6 right-hander can touch 99 mph with his fastball, has a solid slide and a decent change, and has set a 6-2, 2.75 ERA record in 11 games (eight starts) for the Kernels.
RHB Sean Mooney, Twins number 26 (MLB ETA: 2023)
He took the twins Mooney out of St. John’s in 2019 and helped him rehabilitate him from Tommy John’s surgery that year. The righty debuted in 2021 and has been going strong with Cedar Rapids this season, posting a 2.50 ERA in 13 games (11 starts), and writing off 73 for just 26 walks in 54 runs.
3B/1B Jake Rooker, Twins number 30 (MLB ETA: 2024)
Another SEC producer from Tennessee, Rucker joined the Twins in the seventh round of the 2021 draft and put together an impressive first full-season campaign with Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids. In addition to 35 games at third base and 30 at first, Rucker also tested with seven at second base and nine on the field. Between them, his racket continued to play .265/.365/.449 slashes in 98 games for the Kernels.
Davenport Blue Sox (Quad Cities River Bandits)
RHP Beck Way, Royals No. 12 (MLB ETA: 2023)
In the fourth round of the Yankees in 2020, Way arrived with the royal family last week via the Andrew Benintendi trade. In 15 outings to start the year with High-A Hudson Valley in the Yanks system, the right went 5-5 with a 3.73 ERA. Through his first two runs with River Bandits, he managed to hit 13 in 10 and 2/3 of the rounds.
2B Peyton Wilson, Royals No. 14 (MLB ETA: 2024)
Ranked 66th in 2021, Wilson is from an athletic family who gave birth to three sons in Alabama. Along with Peyton, John Parker played the Crimson Tide quarterback and his middle brother Ross still shares the first championship record with 15. 60 matches.
Si Luca Trish, Royals No. 26 (MLB ETA: 2025)
North Carolina producer Tresh helped lead Wolfpack to third in the 2021 College World Series before going to the Royals in Round 17 that year. This season, he’s been impressive in his debut in the Midwest League, hitting .273/.360/.470 with 14 home runs and 54 RBIs in 80 games.