At the time of writing this, the 2024 ball hawking season is just under a week away. With that comes my views on what to expect this year. I honestly expect it to be very similar to last year, however there are 2 or 3 big changes that will/might be put into play. Most factors will be based on solely Scranton, PA and PNC Field, as well as some other aspects sprinkled in. So, let’s start with the big stuff first.

PROTECTIVE NETTING

As I’m sure most of you know, Major League Baseball has a requirement that all stadiums must abide by regarding protective netting. It must be a safe enough height and must extend from foul pole to foul pole. This rule will also begin to go into effect for all Minor League affiliated clubs no later than the 2025 season. This is one area that PNC Field has lacked for years, and while I definitely agree with the idea of safety, it’ll also make snagging foul balls and toss ups much more of a challenge. Especially considering the fact that the netting at PNC only extends to about 3/4ths of the dugouts.

CHANGE IN SEATING/GATE OPENING

Last season, I was a Railriders season ticket holder. This year, however, that will change. Considering they have changed their policies, I will not be returning as one. With that comes the need that I will not be able to see BP upon entering, unless I go through the team directly. However, it will also allow us to try out more seating options in different areas of the ballpark.

NEW BASEBALLS PUT INTO PLAY

I saved the best for last. This year, Minor League Baseball will be debuting a brand new ball for their fresh rebrand in conjunction with the Majors. As we can see below, the ball features the new MiLB logo featuring the iconic silhouette that we see in the big leagues, along with a much lighter blue ink than used in years past. Personally, I think these look really nice and can’t wait to snag some. Hopefully, Triple-A will use them along with the lower levels instead of standard MLB balls.

So besides some smaller changes such as new retrieval devices, debuting a new glove, and different filming techniques, that basically covers what I see happening in 2024. I won’t make any predictions yet in regards to players and game home runs considering I haven’t seen how any of these new guys play. As for content, I think you all are really going to enjoy what I have in mind for this season, so stay tuned!!! You won’t want to miss a single second of it.