2022 Triple-A Championship preview: Reno Aces, Durham Bulls

2022 Triple-A Championship preview: Reno Aces, Durham Bulls

While we gear up for the MLB Postseason, we can’t forget about the young guns down in the minors. The 2022 Triple-A Championship has been going on this weekend, and the main event will take place Sunday, October 2.

The Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) and Durham Bulls (Rays) will face off at 7:05 ET via Las Vegas. Let’s take a look at exactly how the Triple-A playoffs work, and the two teams that will be competing on Sunday.

Like the American League and National League in MLB, the minors are divided into two leagues, the Pacific Coast League, and the International League. Inside those are two divisions: the West and East divisions for both leagues.

Before the National Championship, there’s a Pacific Coast Championship and an International Championship. The two division winners from each league play each other, with the winner of each game moving on to the National Championship.

This year, the Aces beat the El Paso Chihuahuas on Friday night. The next day, The Bulls shut down the Nashville Sounds 13-0. Both games were played at Las Vegas Stadium, home of the Oakland A’s affiliate, the Aviators.

Before we go any further, let’s take a look at both teams’ seasons and how they got here.

Reno Aces

My hometown team will be looking to win its first championship since 2012. Finishing the regular season with an 85-63 record, the Aces were the best team in the PCL. Outfielder Stone Garrett had himself an excellent season which helped his team win 85 games. A .272 batting average with a team-leading 28 home runs and 95 RBIs. The Aces have no shortage of hitters, with Seth Beer and the duo Dominic’s of Fletcher and Canzone.

Durham Bulls

The Rays affiliate ended the season very similar to the Aces with an 86-64 record. Shortstop Tristan Gray and first baseman Jonathan Aranda were the two to lead this team offensively. Gray supplied plenty of power, with a team-leading 33 home runs and 89 RBIs. Miranda was right behind him with only 18 home runs but 85 RBIs. He had the highest batting average on the team at .318. They’ve had more recent success in the championship, last winning in 2017. They’ve been in the championship game four times since 2009, but that 2017 title was their only successful outcome.

The game will be free to watch on MLB.TV and MiLB.TV, as well as on MLB Network. Come back to the site after the game for a review of the championship winner!

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