Orioles receive new High-A affiliate for 2026

The Frederick Keys will return as an Orioles minor league affiliate starting next season.

Feb 17, 2019; Sarasota, FL, USA; A general view of the Baltimore Orioles logo on the practice fields at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles' minor league system is set for a shake-up.

Attain Sports CEO Greg Baroni announced Friday that the long-time Orioles affiliate Frederick Keys will return as the club's High-A team starting in 2026, six years after they lost affiliation. Baltimore's current High-A team, the Aberdeen IronBirds, will become an MLB Draft League team not connected to the Orioles organization.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias spoke about the significance of the reunion: "The farm system is a lifeblood. To be back in Frederick, which is booming, is a big deal for us."

The Frederick Keys will be an Orioles affiliate again starting in 2026, Attain Sports CEO Greg Baroni says.

They’ll be Baltimore’s High-A team. The Aberdeen IronBirds will become an MLB Draft League team no longer connected to the Orioles. pic.twitter.com/cQBtHTJmfR

— Taylor Lyons (@taylorjlyons) August 1, 2025

From 1989 to 2019, the Frederick Keys were the Orioles' High-A minor league team competing in the Carolina League. After the COVID-19 pandemic prevented minor league games in 2020, the Keys were one of 42 franchises cut by MLB ahead of the 2021 season.

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The club continued to play as a member of the MLB Draft League, but eyed a return to the Orioles organization under new ownership with Attain Sports. Baroni, who bought the team in 2021, recently collaborated with the Maryland Stadium Authority to renovate the Keys' home field, Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium. The club celebrated the $39 million transformation with a ceremonial groundbreaking in May of 2025.

Baroni was candid about his desire to return as a Baltimore affiliate, but open to other options. He reportedly told Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor that his preference was "First, a Baltimore Orioles affiliate. Second, a Washington Nationals affiliate. And then third, everyone else.”

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But Baroni won't have to worry about second or third options, as the two sides struck a deal to reconnect. After the six-year hiatus, many Orioles minor leaguers will put on the same jersey as former Keys players like Manny Machado, Nick Markakis, Steve Pearce, and Trey Mancini.