It will mark the return of affiliated baseball back in Frederick County, Maryland, for the first time since 2020.

Major League Baseball renewed its affiliation with the Frederick Keys, making it a High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles once again starting in the 2026 season.

It will mark the return of affiliated baseball back in Frederick County, Maryland, for the first time since 2020. The Keys will play in the South Atlantic League, and will once again be a part of the Orioles farm system, meaning fans watching players in Frederick could end up seeing those same stars play in the big leagues in the future.

“Affiliated professional baseball is coming back here to the Frederick community,” Attain Sports CEO and team owner Greg Baroni said during a press conference.

The Keys will play at Harry Grove Stadium, which is undergoing a $39 million renovation. Reports of the Keys’ return to Minor League Baseball began in May.

“We are thrilled that affiliated baseball is returning to Frederick,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said in a statement. “The Frederick community and fans have always been strong supporters of the Orioles, and we look forward to building on a 30-year partnership with the Keys.”

Frederick’s baseball legacy runs deep, dating back to the 1910s. It became Baltimore’s Class A-Advanced affiliate between 1989 to 2020.

“There are only so many communities across this country that get to say they are minor league baseball towns, and today, Frederick returns to that list,” Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor said.

Major League Baseball made big changes back in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic, cutting 43 teams, including the Keys, who had been as an minor league affiliate since 1989. It joined the six-team MLB Draft League, which operates as an amateur collegiate summer baseball league to showcase for draft-eligible prospects.

As a result of the Keys returning as an Orioles affiliate, the Aberdeen IronBirds — which play in Ripken Stadium in Harford County, Maryland — will drop to the MLB Draft League. Both teams will retain their original cities and identities.

WTOP’s José Umaña contributed to this story. 

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