Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA
According to a report by Adam Rubin, Mets are semi-officially stating that their Single-A affiliate, the Savannah Sand Gnats, are ceasing their occupancy in Savannah, Georgia on October 1st, 2015. and will be relocating to a brand new, state of the art stadium located in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Mets are not cutting their affiliation with the Sand Gnats, but instead following the team to a new location. The Mets have a player development contract that expires at the end of the 2016 season. The move was precipitated because the City of Savannah refused to build a new stadium.
Back in December, Baseball America started rumblings about a supposed move in a Top 10 prospect chat:
Jack (Queens): How bad is the environments in Savannah and Las Vegas for evaluating prospects, but more importantly a hindrance in development?
Matt Eddy: The Mets have not indicated that they view the conditions at either affiliate as a hindrance. In fact, they renewed their agreement at Triple-A Las Vegas this offseason without even seeking other suitors. Meanwhile, the pitcher-friendly conditions at Low-A Savannah help create a nurturing environment for young pitchers, but the Mets are eying Columbia, S.C., as an SAL affiliate mostly for the updated facilities.
I also heard rumblings from a player’s family member about Savannah potentially moving.
The previous team prior to the new stadium was the Lexington Country Blowfish, but they’re going to change that by local vote
My Take:
In 2013, Baseball America rated averages offensively among parks from 2010 to 2012 and had Savannah listed as the worst in the minor leagues when it came to offense, with a minor league worst 7.0 runs per game, 15.11 hits per game, as well as .63 home runs per game. Factored into that were 16-foot high walls in center field and right field as well as a lot of wind and humidity that reinforce the air to make the ball die quicker.
Safe to say, it will drastically help the offensive side of the Low-A Affiliate. Good for our young hitting prospects, and please Mets, find us a way out of Vegas in 2017.
If you want to track the the new Stadium, click Here to see the development.
