14 ways to watch baseball near Philly (besides the Phillies)

All the way back in 1831, Philadelphia — which always likes being first at everything — formed what is considered the country’s first organized baseball team, called the Olympic Ball Club.

Almost 200 years later, we’re still into it.

But the Phillies aren’t the only game in town. Look a little farther afield than Citizens Bank Park, and you’ll find a plethora of other ways to enjoy the national pastime, from minor league to high school games to watch.

Here are 14 places to watch baseball — that’s not the Phillies — all within about an hour and a half from Philadelphia.

When to watch: Early-April through mid-May

The Philadelphia High School Catholic League (PCL) includes teams like Archbishop Wood, Lansdale Catholic, Neumann-Goretti, and Archbishop Ryan, just to name a few. While PCL is mostly known for its basketball, don’t overlook the level of skill on the diamond. The PCL teams are broken down into Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) classifications, from 6-A down to 3-A. Many of the players go on to play varying levels of baseball — from Division I to Division III — and play for both school pride and PCL superiority. The games start on April 4 and continue until the middle of May, and the games are open to anyone who wants to come cheer. Game locations and schedules can be found on each school’s website.

🌐 aopathletics.org, 📷 @pcl.baseball, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Free admission

When to watch: Late-March through mid-May

The Philadelphia High School Public League (PL) has more than 25 teams. The teams are split in four categories: Independence, American, National, and Liberty. Game locations and schedules can be found on the website. And, because of the size of the league, you can catch a game in almost every neighborhood in Philadelphia.

🌐 philadelphiapublicleague.org, 📷 @pplathletics, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Free admission

When to watch: Mid-may through mid-July (playoffs: late-July through early-August)

The Perkiomen Valley Twilight League (or the “Perky” League) is made up of adult teams from Montgomery County. This summer, there are ten teams competing for the league title. Many of the players were on high school and college teams, though the league has players of all ages. Games take place at Villanova Ballpark in Plymouth Meeting, Weaver Field in Landsdale, and the Temple University--Ambler campus, among other sites.

🌐 leaguelineup.com, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Free admission

When to watch: Early-April through mid-September

The Reading Fightin Phils are the Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Catch a game at Reading’s at FirstEnergy Stadium, or go for promotional nights, such as Mike Schmidt Replica Jersey night and Pride Night, among others. You may just catch a future Phillie: Current Phillie Zach Eflin is among the alumni of the Fightin Phils (played in both 2015 and on rehab assignment in 2021), along with retired Phillie legends Ryan Howard (2004) and Chase Utley (2007, 2013).

🌐 milb.com/reading, 📷 @fightins, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Buy tickets ($7 general admission and up)

When to watch: early-April through mid-September

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Watch them play at Allentown’s Coca-Cola Park, and go for promotional events such as Friday Night Fireworks. Many Lehigh Valley players are called up to, or sent down from, the Major Leagues throughout the season, such as Alec Bohm, Enyel De Los Santos, and Connor Brogdon, and a handful of Phillie players will spend time in Allentown throughout the summer.

🌐 milb.com/lehigh-valley, 📷 @lhvironpigs 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Buy tickets ($9 lawn seats and up)

When to watch: Early-April through mid-September

If you have seen the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and the Reading Fightin Phils play in person, there’s another team you might want to check out: the Jersey Shore Blueclaws. The Blueclaws, formerly known as the Lakewood Blue Claws, are the High-A affiliate of the Phillies. They play their games at ShoreTown Ballpark in Lakewood, New Jersey (an hour or so drive from Philadelphia). Phillies 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels played with Lakewood in 2003.

🌐 milb.com/jersey-shore, 📷 @blueclaws1, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Buy tickets ($16 and up in advance for reserved seating)

When to watch: Early-April through mid-September

Although the Yankees aren’t too popular around Philadelphia, the organization runs a minor league team in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey — an hour from Philly — called the Somerset Patriots. Previously, the Patriots were members of the Atlantic League, but became the Yankees’ Double-A minor league affiliate in 2021. Yankee pitchers Zach Britton and Luis Severino completed rehab assignments with the Patriots last season and, like the Phillies minor league affiliates, the team hosts various promotional events throughout the summer.

🌐 milb.com/somerset, 📷 @somersetpatriots, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Buy tickets ($14 upper box and up)

When to watch: Early-April through mid-September

For Delaware baseball fans, the Blue Rocks are the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, and play at the Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. The only National to make the major leagues after playing for the Blue Rocks is Joan Adon, who made his professional debut in 2021.

🌐 milb.com/wilmington, 📷 @wilmbluerocks, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Buy tickets ($13 and up for general admission)

When to watch: Late-April through mid-September

The Lancaster Barnstormers are part of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a partner to Major League Baseball, and which is often the guinea pig for new rule changes for the MLB. (In 2022, for example, the Atlantic League is lengthening the distance between home plate and the pitcher’s rubber by one foot.) The Barnstormers play at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, PA and many players are future or past members of the Majors.

🌐 lancasterbarnstormers.com, 📷 @gobarnstormers, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Buy tickets ($8 lawn seats and up)

When to watch: Late-February through end-May

The Hawks play other Atlantic 10 foes at John W. Smithson Field in Merion Station, PA. Two St. Joe’s baseball alumni, Brian O’Keefe and Jimmy Yacabonis, are in the Triple-A level of the minor leagues. Head coach Fritz Hamburg has been at the helm in Hawk Hill since 2009. Typically, games are on the weekends, with some mid-week games on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings.

🌐 https://sjuhawks.com/sports/baseball, 📷 @sjuhawks_base, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Free admission

When to watch: Late-February through end-May

The Villanova Wildcats have been playing baseball since 1866; they now play at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth and compete in the Big East conference. The last Wildcat to be drafted to the Major Leagues was pitcher Max Almonte in 2015.

🌐 villanova.com/sports/baseball, 📷 @villanovabaseball, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Free admission

When to watch: Late-February through mid-May

Playing since 1875, the Penn Quakers are the second oldest collegiate baseball team in Philly, behind Villanova. The Quakers play their games at Meiklejohn Stadium, along the Schuylkill River on Penn’s campus. Penn plays against other Ivy League opponents and typically plays a non-conference schedule against foes in warmer, more southern locations.

🌐 pennathletics.com/sports/baseball, 📷 @upennbaseball, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Free admission

When to watch: Late-February through late-April

The Rutgers University-Camden Scarlet Raptors is a Division III school that plays in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The stadium is just over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in New Jersey, and used to be the home of a minor league baseball team called the Camden Riversharks.

🌐 scarletraptors.com/sports/baseball, 📷 @rucbaseball, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Free admission

When to watch: Early-June through early-September

The Trenton Thunder is a collegiate summer team that plays in Trenton, New Jersey. Although the team used to be the Double-A affiliate of the Yankees, it now employs only college-aged players in the MLB Draft League, showcasing young talent that could be drafted in the MLB Draft in mid-July. Some players for the Thunder could be on a professional baseball team in a year’s time. You just never know. The Thunder play at the appropriately named Trenton Thunder Ballpark.

🌐 milb.com/trenton, 📷 @trentonthunder, 📅 Schedule, 🎟️ Buy tickets