| Frederick Keys | |||||
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| Class | High-A (2026–present) | ||||
| Previous classes | Collegiate summer (2021–2025) Class A-Advanced (1989–2020) | ||||
| League | South Atlantic League (2026–present) | ||||
Previous leagues | MLB Draft League (2021–2025) Carolina League (1989–2020) | ||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Team | Baltimore Orioles (2026–present) | ||||
| Previous teams | Unaffiliated (2021–2025) Baltimore Orioles (1989–2020) | ||||
| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles(4) |
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| Division titles(5) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Name | Frederick Keys (1989–present) | ||||
| Colors | Black, orange, yellow, white[1] | ||||
| Mascot | Keyote | ||||
| Ballpark | Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium (1990–present) | ||||
Previous parks | McCurdy Field (1989) | ||||
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Attain Sports and Entertainment | ||||
| General manager | Slater Fuchs[3] | ||||
| Manager | Preston Wilson[2] | ||||
| Website | mlbdraftleague.com/frederick | ||||
TheFrederick Keys are aMinor League Baseball (MiLB) team located inFrederick, Maryland. They are theHigh-A affiliate of theBaltimore Orioles. A new team mascot, Frank Key, joined the current mascot, acoyote namedKeyote, at the beginning of the 2011 baseball season.[4] The Keys were purchased from Maryland Baseball Holding, LLC by Attain Sports and Entertainment in January 2022.[5] Home games are played atNymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium. Prior toMajor League Baseball's reorganization of the minor leagues following the 2020 season, the Keys were aMinor League Baseball team that served as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of theBaltimore Orioles from 1989 to 2020.[6] On August 1, 2025, the team announced that it would once again serve as the Class A-Advanced (now called High-A) affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles starting in 2026, replacing theAberdeen IronBirds.[7]
The team and one of its mascots, Frank Key, are named after lawyer andFrederick County nativeFrancis Scott Key, the writer of the poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry". "The Star-Spangled Banner", the American national anthem, is the first stanza of the poem set to the tune of "The Anacreontic Song".
Frederick was one of the founding members of theBlue Ridge League, which existed from 1915 to 1930.[8] The team, which went by the names of Hustlers, Champs and Warriors, won league championships in 1915 and 1921. Games were played at the Frederick Fairgrounds until 1924 whenMcCurdy Field was built. With the collapse of the Blue Ridge League in 1931, it would be several decades before professional baseball returned to Frederick.
Frederick players from this era who were major leaguers:
The team was founded in 1989 when the Baltimore Orioles decided to move theirClass ACarolina League affiliate fromHagerstown, Maryland. The city of Frederick convinced the owners of the then-Hagerstown Suns to move the team to Frederick and promised a 4,000-seat stadium to be built for the 1990 season. For the 1989 season, the Keys played at McCurdy Field, aBabe Ruth League stadium, while waiting for the construction of the new stadium to be completed.[9] The Keys opened by losing both ends of adoubleheader (including a seven-inningperfect game byDennis Burlingame) against theDurham Bulls.[10] Their first win came on April 11, 1989, with a 3–1 victory over theKinston Indians in the Keys' first-ever home game.[11]
Only two players in Keys history have been transferred directly from Frederick to the Baltimore Orioles (excluding rehab related transfers). On September 3, 1996,Eugene Kingsale's contract was purchased by the Orioles. On June 11, 2005,Jeff Fiorentino's contract was purchased by the Orioles in order to replace the injuredLuis Matos.
The 2020 Minor League Baseball season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Keys did not receive an invitation to remain in affiliated baseball as part of the2021 reorganization of Minor League Baseball, and instead joined the newly-formedMLB Draft League.
Several Keys alumni have gone on to play in the major leagues. In their inaugural season, the opening day roster featured several future major leaguers:David Segui, Francisco de la Rosa, Luis Mercedes,Jack Voigt, andPete Rose Jr.[12]
Other Keys alumni include:
| Players | Coaches/Other |
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Sports in Marylandhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_Maryland?wprov=sfti1
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