The Ultimate Guide to the Chicago Cubs Minor League Team Affiliates

Have you wondered where the Cubs' minor league teams play? Who their coaches are? Where to find their schedule and rosters? We have the guide for you.

First and foremost, one of the goals at North Side Baseball is to become a one-stop spot for Cubs minor-league content. The hope is to provide a daily minor league report with the day’s game scores and highlights, transactions, media, and much more. We will hand out “awards” for minor league hitter, starting pitcher, and relief pitcher of the month with profiles on several players who had strong performances. We will also have year-end reports, top prospect rankings, and features throughout the year on Cubs minor leaguers.

In 2021, a new minor-league alignment created several changes. Some minor-league teams were shut down. Others were able to align themselves with new major-league clubs. Upon agreements, the Cubs (and all other clubs) signed 10-year Player Development Agreements with their affiliates. 

Here are the current Cubs affiliates. 

List Of Cubs Affiliate Teams (click to jump to section)

• Iowa Cubs - AAA
• Knoxville Smokies - AA
• South Bend Cubs - High A
• Myrtle Beach Pelicans - Low A
• Arizona Complex League Cubs
• Dominican Summer League Cubs

Triple A: Iowa Cubs

League: International League 
Stadium: Principal Park
One Line Drive
Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: (512) 243-6111
Website: https://www.milb.com/iowa/  (or iowacubs.com) 

How long have they been the affiliate?  Des Moines has been the Triple-A home of the Chicago Cubs going back to 1981. They have played in the American Association and the Pacific Coast League. Then in 2021, they moved to the International League. In 12 seasons before joining the Cubs, they were affiliated with the White Sox (twice), the Astros and the A’s when they were called the Iowa Oaks. 

2025 Coaching Staff
Manager: Marty Pevey
Pitching Coach: Tony Cougoule 
Hitting Coach: Rick Strickland
Bench Coach: Eric Patterson  
Development Coach: Andrew Betcher, Taylor Fortney 

Radio Voice: Alex Cohen   

2025 Iowa Cubs Roster
2025 Iowa Cubs Schedule

Double A: Knoxville Smokies

League: Southern League 
Stadium: Covenant Health Park (capacity: 7,500) (Brand New in 2025!)
601 E Jackson Avenue 
Knoxville, TN  37915
Phone: (865) 286-2300
Website: https://www.milb.com/knoxville/  (or, www.smokiesbaseball.com)  

How long have they been the affiliate?  Baseball has a long history in Knoxville (Kodak is a suburb), going all the way back to 1896. In those early years, they switched leagues and affiliations often, and they have played under several different names. However, the team has been a Double-A affiliate since 1963. They have been the Tennessee Smokies since 2000, and changed their name to Knoxville in 2025. Prior to the Cubs, the club has played under 11 big-league clubs. They became the Cubs affiliate starting in 2007. 

In April of 2023, the Smokies owner (Randy Boyd) and Knoxville authorities) signed the agreement to start building a new $114 million multi-purpose stadium. The team will start playing in Covenant Health Park in the 2025 season. The team will move from Kodak to Knoxville and the name will return to the Knoxville Smokies.  The stadium will also be used by One Knoxville SC (USL League One). 

2025 Coaching Staff
Manager: Lance Rymel 
Assistant Coach: Marco Romero
Pitching Coach: Jamie Vermilyea 
Assistant Pitching Coach: Henry Haack
Hitting Coach: Rachel Folden  
Development Coach: Derron Davis

Radio Voice: Mick Gillispie

2025 Knoxville Smokies Roster
2025 Knoxville Smokies Schedule

High A: South Bend Cubs

League: Midwest League 
Stadium: Four Winds Field
501 W. South Street 
South Bend, IN  46601 
Phone: (574) 235-9988
Website: https://www.milb.com/south-bend  (or, www.southbendcubs.com) 

How long have they been the affiliate?  In 1988, South Bend became a minor-league affiliate in the Midwest League. They were an affiliate of the White Sox for 10 seasons. Starting in 1998, the South Bend “Silver Hawks” became an affiliate of the Diamondbacks, a relationship that lasted through the 2014 season. In 2015, the team became known as the South Bend Cubs, appropriate because they became the Low-A, Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. With the 2021 minor-league realignment, the Midwest League became a High-A league. 

2025 Coaching Staff
Manager: Nick Lovullo 
Pitching Coach: Bruce Billings  
Hitting Coaches: Nate Spears   
Bench Coach: Kyle Moore 
Development Coaches: Andrew Reuter, Collin Andrews 

Radio Voice: Brendan King, Max Thoma     

2025 South Bend Cubs Roster
2025 South Bend Cubs Schedule 

Low A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans

League: Carolina League 
Stadium: Pelicans Ballpark (Capacity: 4,800; 6,599 with standing room only) 
1251 21st Avenue North
Myrtle Beach, SC  29577
Phone: (843) 918-6000
Website: https://www.milb.com/myrtle-beach/   

How long have they been the affiliate?  Once upon a time, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans were the Durham Bulls. However, in 1997, the International League (AAA) expanded to Durham and the “Bulls” transferred to Myrtle Beach and became the Pelicans. They were still a Braves affiliate. The Pelicans were an affiliate of the Rangers for four seasons. Since 2015, the Pelicans have been an affiliate of the Cubs. In 2020, it was announced that the team (and the Carolina League) would move from High-A to Low-A. 

2024 Coaching Staff
Manager: Buddy Bailey   
Pitching Coach: George Thanopoulos
Assistant Pitching Coach: Armando Gabino     
Hitting Coach: Roberto Vaz
Bench Coach: D’Angelo Jimenez 
Development Coach: Daniel Wasinger 

Radio Voice: Sam Weiderhaft      

2025 Myrtle Beach Pelicans Roster
2025 Myrtle Beach Pelicans Schedule  

Complex League: Arizona Complex League (ACL) Cubs

League: Arizona Complex League  
Stadium: Nike Performance Center/Sloan Park  (Capacity: 15,000) 
2330 West Rio Salado Parkway 
Mesa, AZ  85201 

How long have they been the affiliate? The first ACL Cubs team played in 1997 and have remained in the league since then. Twice they have had two teams competing in the league.  

2025 Coaching Staff
Manager: Corey Ray   
Pitching Coaches: Jose Zapata    
Hitting Coaches: Yovanny Cuevas, Chris Pieters  
Bench Coach: Kyle Sutherland 
Development Coaches: Andrew Craig   

2025 ACL Cubs Roster
2025 ACL Cubs Schedule 

Dominican Summer League: Dominican Summer League (DSL) Cubs

League: Dominican Summer League

How long have they been the affiliate? The Cubs first season in the DSL was 1991 when they split a team with the Royals. In 1992, they added the Rockies to the roster. In 1993, they teamed with the Rangers, and then had a joint affiliation with the Padres from 1994-1996. 

In 1997, the Cubs had an affiliate to call their own. At various times since 2008 they have had one or two affiliates in the DL. 

DSL Cubs Blue  
2024 Coaching Staff
Manager: Enrique Wilson    
Pitching Coaches: Luis Hernandez
Assistant Pitching Coaches: JC Bonilla     
Hitting Coaches: Raymond Pena 
Development Coach: Chase Colding 

2025 DSL Cubs Blue Roster
2025 DSL Cubs Blue Schedule  

DSL Cubs Red  
2024 Coaching Staff
Manager: Carlos Ramirez     
Hitting Coach: Johnny Bethencourt 
Pitching Coach: Jordal Williams 
Coach: Jovanny Rosario   

2025 DSL Cubs Red Roster
2025 DSL Cubs Read Schedule

Additional Player Development Staff and Coordinators 

Player Development Staff
Jason Kanzler: Director of Player Development
Ryan Otero: Director of Pitching 

Coordinators
Kevin Graber: Minor League Field Coordinator
Mark Johnson: Assistant Field Coordinator
Dave Keller: Minor League Roving Instructor
Dai Dai Otaka: Infield Coordinator
Doug Dascenzo: Outfield Coordinator
Casey Jacobson: Minor League Senior Coordinator
James Ogden: Coordinator of Pitching Performance
Carlos Chantres: Assistant Coordinator, Pitching
Matt Hinkley: Arizona Pitching Coordinator & Rehab Coordinator
Rachel Folden: Hitting Coordinator (and AA Hitting Coach)
Steven Pollakov: Hitting Coordinator
Greg Brown: Hitting Coordinator/Special Assistant to GM
Desi Wilson: Position Player Rehab/Development List Coordinator

Cubs Top Prospect Rankings
North Side Baseball Top 20