Iowa’s 3 Minor League Baseball Teams and How to Watch Them in 2023

It’s finally spring, and you know what that means: Baseball season is upon us.

While Iowa has no MLB teams in residence (unless it’s the day they’re playing at the Field of Dreams), we’ve got three minor league baseball teams to watch. And this year is the first year the notoriously low-paid players are unionized, too.

Check out the baseball talent right here in the Hawkeye State this spring and summer—and you can say you saw them before they were famous.

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs

Affiliation: Chicago Cubs

Home Opener: Saturday, April 1, 2023

Address: Principal Park, One Line Drive, Des Moines

Principal Park. Photo by Dylan Heuer/Iowa Cubs

Visit Des Moines to watch the Iowa Cubs, the only Triple-A team in the state, and a direct feeder for the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs.

Principal Park, home of the I-Cubs, sits at the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers to provide a pleasurable baseball-viewing experience.

Looking out past center field, the golden dome of the Iowa State Capitol glimmers in the sun or moonlight—a romantic view for baseball lovers.

If you can’t make it to a game, you might be able to catch them on Marquee Sports Network, which plans to air 15 Iowa Cubs games in 2023.

Here’s the 2023 schedule.

High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels

Affiliation: Minnesota Twins

Home Opener: Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Address: PG Cares Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium, 950 Rockford Road S.W., Cedar Rapids

Photo courtesy of Cedar Rapids Kernels

Cedar Rapids has had a professional baseball team as far back as 1890, when they were called the Canaries.

Since that time, the Kernels can boast two National Baseball Hall of Fame players have played in the eastern Iowa city—John McGraw and Lou Boudreau.

They may have dropped from their former Double-A years, but the Kernels still seem to make the Midwest League playoffs pretty consistently.

Here’s the 2023 schedule.

High-A: Quad Cities River Bandits

Affiliation: Kansas City Royals

Home Opener: Friday, April 7, 2023

Address: Modern Woodmen Park, 209 S. Gaines St., Davenport

Photo courtesy of Quad Cities River Bandits

Modern Woodmen Park, the fourth-oldest ballpark in the minor leagues (built in 1931), lies on the banks of the Mississippi River, providing a perfect view of the river and the Centennial Bridge.

In addition to baseball, this park also has amusement rides, with a Ferris wheel overlooking the mighty Mississippi, making it perfect for families.

Here’s the 2023 schedule.

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