CULLMAN, Ala. – Local high school sports are done for the summer, but those looking for a day out at the ballpark don’t have to look far. The Rocket City Trash Pandas and Birmingham Barons both play just under 50 minutes from downtown Cullman, and feature two of the top parks in Minor League Baseball and some of the most exciting professional talent in the state.
Rocket City Trash Pandas: The Trash Pandas, Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, sit just ahead of the Barons in the Southern League, north standings with a record just over .500. Due to the Angels’ aggressive promotion tactics with prospects, fans of Rocket City often miss out on some of the higher-end pieces in L.A.’s farm.
The Angels’ 15th overall prospect, center fielder Raudi Rodriguez, is currently playing for the Trash Pandas, but may not be for long. The 22-year-old is currently third on the team in batting average (.295) and leads the squad in both home runs (seven) and hits (51).
On the mound, Los Angeles’ 21st-ranked prospect, 25-year-old righty Joel Hurtado, leads the team in earned run average (2.89), is second in wins (four) and third in strikeouts (41).
Upcoming promotions
- June 7 vs. Columbus: Armed Forces Day and hat giveaway
- June 16 vs. Montgomery: Hawaiian shirt giveaway
- June 18 vs. Montgomery: Youth soccer jersey giveaway
Birmingham Barons: It’s easy to look at the defending Southern League champion Barons’ season thus far (20-31, 4th in the Southern League, north) and think of it as disappointing. Birmingham was never going to hang on to as much talent as they had last season, however. Pitcher Noah Schultz, outfielder Rikuu Nishida and infielder Jacob Gonzalez have all since made their big league debuts and contributed to a surging White Sox organization.
Still, the Barons ride a short win streak, have one of the top minor league parks in the country and a handful of fun players. Leading the charge at the plate after the promotion of top 25 MLB prospect Braden Montgomery has been 25-year-old shortstop Jordan Sprinkle. While unranked in Chicago’s top 30, he leads the team in batting average (.292), doubles (nine) and hits (40).
Birmingham also features former Cullman High School baseball star and former MLB Draft pick Jacob Heatherly, who has appeared in 13 games as a relief pitcher and has a 3.00 earned run average.
Upcoming promotions
- June 11 vs. Biloxi: Bill Greason Day and Juneteenth t-shirt giveaway
- June 13 vs. Biloxi: WWE Night with pregame wrestling match and mask giveaway
- June 14 vs. Biloxi: Babe Ruff’s (mascot) birthday and plush toy giveaway
