Most people don't think of downtown Buffalo, Rochester, or Syracuse as "the farm," but in baseball terms, that's exactly what we are. Our Triple-A ballparks are the final stop before the big leagues, where future stars perfect their swing and veterans fight for one more shot. It's where dreams either come true or fade away.

The Bisons, Red Wings, and Mets have all been home to players who later became household names, giving us the rare privilege of witnessing greatness before it reaches the big leagues. Here are some of the biggest stars who once called our ballparks home.

1960s-70s: The Foundation Era

Don Baylor - Baylor's two seasons with the Rochester Red Wings showcased the combination of power and speed that would define his MLB career. He was named Minor League Player of the Year in 1970 after hitting .327 with 22 homers, 107 RBI and 26 steals. The following year, Baylor helped the Red Wings capture a Junior World Series championship alongside teammate Bobby Grich. Baylor went on to play 19 seasons in the majors. After retirement, he managed the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs.

Johnny Bench - Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bench is widely regarded as one of baseball's greatest catchers. But did you know he was named Minor League Player of the Year as a member of the Buffalo Bisons? In 1967, Bench led the Bisons with 23 home runs and 68 RBI. He was later called up to the majors and spent a storied 16-year career with the Cincinnati Reds.

Bobby Cox - Cox is the only person in Syracuse franchise history to win the Governors’ Cup as both a player and a manager. Cox played infield for the Chiefs in 1970 when the team captured the International League pennant, Governors’ Cup, and Junior World Series Championship. As manager, Cox led the Chiefs to three straight playoff appearances and the 1976 Governors’ Cup. Cox is best known for his 30 years managing the Atlanta Braves.

Mike Flanagan - The left-handed pitcher dominated International League hitters during his Rochester Red Wings tenure from 1975-76. As a rookie in 1975, Flanagan posted a 13-4 record with a 2.50 ERA, leading the IL in winning percentage and guiding Rochester to the playoffs. He followed up with a 6-1 mark and 2.12 ERA in 1976. His combined 2.39 ERA over those seasons remains among the best in franchise history. Flanagan went on to enjoy 18 seasons in MLB with the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays.

Bobby Grich - Grich's 1971 season stands as one of Rochester's greatest individual performances, earning him both International League MVP and Minor League Player of the Year honors. His .336 average and 32 home runs led the Red Wings to a championship sweep. His MLB career featured six All-Star selections, four Gold Gloves, and a Silver Slugger Award across stints with Baltimore and California.

Ron Guidry - Guidry was a relief pitcher for the Syracuse Chiefs in 1975 and 1976 and helped win the 1976 Governor's Cup for the Chiefs. He posted a 0.68 ERA over 40 innings in 1976 before playing 14 years in the majors with the New York Yankees. Guidry won the 1978 Cy Young Award, was named to four All-Star teams, and won three World Series with the Yankees.  

Thurman Munson - Munson was the catcher for the Syracuse Chiefs during the 1969 Governor's Cup Championship season. Munson was batting .363 when he was called up to the big leagues in August 1969. He went on to play for the New York Yankees through 1979, where he led the Yankees to three American League Pennants in a row, and two World Series championships. His career was cut short after he died in a plane crash in 1979 at age 32.  

Earl Weaver - Before his Hall of Fame managerial career with Baltimore, Weaver guided Rochester to 163 victories across two successful seasons. His 1966 Red Wings posted the International League's best record behind MVP Mike Epstein, while the 1967 squad featuring Pitcher of the Year Dave Leonhard and Rookie of the Year Curt Motton finished second. Weaver later led the Orioles to four American League pennants and the 1970 World Series title.

1980s-1990s: The Power Surge

Bartolo Colon - While Colon is known for his long and varied MLB career, a highlight came when he was just starting out. Colon threw the first no-hitter in Buffalo Bisons franchise history on June 20, 1997. He would go on to record 2,535 strikeouts for 11 different teams over a storied 21-year major league career.

Carlos Delgado - Delgado led the Syracuse Chiefs to the Governors’ Cup Finals in 1994 when he batted .319 with 19 home runs and 58 RBI in 85 games. He was named to the International League All Star team in 1995 when he batted .318 with 22 home runs and 74 RBI in 91 games. On August 29, 1994, Delgado was one of only seven players in the history of MacArthur Stadium to hit a home run over the center field wall, 434 feet away from home plate. Delgado went on to have a successful major league career with the Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets.

Shawn Green - One of the best-known Jewish major league ballplayers, Green hit .344 for the Syracuse Chiefs in 1994 and won both the International League batting title and Rookie of the Year award. He played in 1,951 games during his 15-year Major League career with the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets.  

Fred McGriff - McGriff appeared in 254 games for the Syracuse Chiefs from 1984-1986. He won the International League pennant with the Chiefs in 1985 and had a standout 1986 season, hitting 19 home runs and 74 RBI. The slugger was named to the Toronto Blue Jays' Opening Day roster in 1987, and the rest was history. McGriff was named to the Hall of Fame in 2007.

Mike Mussina - After brief appearances with the Rochester Red Wings' 1990 championship team, Mussina returned in 1991 to dominate the International League with a 10-4 record and 2.87 ERA, capturing Most Valuable Pitcher honors. He became the most successful former Red Wing in MLB history with 270 career victories, five All-Star games, seven Gold Gloves, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.  

Cal Ripken Jr. - Baseball's future "Iron Man" spent his final minor league season with the Rochester Red Wings in 1981, playing third base in 114 consecutive games before his Baltimore promotion. Guess he was always an Iron Man! Ripken hit .288 with 23 home runs, 31 doubles and 75 RBI while earning Rookie of the Year honors. His legendary MLB career featured a record-breaking 2,632 consecutive games played and redefined shortstop play en route to a plaque in Cooperstown.

Jim Thome - When he was with the Cleveland Indians, Thome made two rehab starts with the Buffalo Bisons that just so happened to coincide with the 1998 International League Governors' Cup Finals. The Bisons would go on to win the series in five games, their fifth Governor's Cup Championship. Thome played 22 seasons in the Major Leagues with six MLB clubs and hit 612 home runs, good for eighth all time, and is in the Hall of Fame.

2000s: The Modern Game

Roy Halladay - Halladay had two stints with the Syracuse SkyChiefs. From 1997-1998, Halladay helped lead the SkyChiefs to a playoff berth. He returned in 2000-2001 after struggling in the major leagues. Halladay made 56 starts for Syracuse in his four years with the SkyChiefs, posting 19 wins and 186 strikeouts. An eight-time MLB All-Star, Halladay played in the big leagues for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies and was one of the most dominant pitchers of his era, and was elected posthumously to the Hall of Fame.  

Jhonny Peralta - Peralta played in parts of two seasons with the Buffalo Bisons (2003, 2004) and produced one of the greatest single-season campaigns in franchise history. In 2004, Peralta captured the International League MVP award with a .326 average, 15 home runs, and 86 RBI. He led the Bisons to a Governors' Cup Championship in 2004. Peralta's 15-year MLB career included three All-Star games, 1,761 hits, and 202 home runs with Cleveland, Detroit, and St. Louis.

Brandon Phillips - The second baseman played in parts of four seasons with the Buffalo Bisons from 2002-2005 and was a key contributor to the Bisons 2004 Governors' Cup Championship. Phillips had a celebrated 17-year career, most notably with the Cincinnati Reds, and earned three National League All-Star nods, four Gold Glove Awards, and the 2011 Silver Slugger Award.

Manny Ramirez - During his time with the Cleveland Indians, Ramirez completed a rehab stint with the Buffalo Bisons in 2000. The slugger had five hits, seven RBI, and three home runs over five games. Urban legend has it one of those home runs may have hit the I-190 exit ramp that's 480-500 feet from home plate. Over a storied 19-year MLB career, Ramirez had 555 home runs and was a twelve-time MLB All-Star.

Dave Roberts - While current baseball fans know him as the manager of the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, Roberts played parts of four seasons with the Buffalo Bisons and is the club's modern era stolen base leader. He hit .286 in 276 career games in Buffalo. Roberts played for five MLB teams over a ten-year career but is perhaps best known for his ninth inning steal for the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS that helped Boston rally from a 3-0 series deficit.  

C.C. Sabathia - While the left-handed pitcher made his way through the Cleveland Indians farm system, Buffalo Bisons fans only got one chance to see Sabathia pitch: April 27, 2006, when he made a rehab start for the Bisons against the Syracuse SkyChiefs. Sabathia pitched five innings, allowing two runs, six hits, one walk, and five strikeouts in the only Triple-A start of his career. Sabathia went on to win the Cy Young Award in 2007 and the World Series with the New York Yankees in 2009.  

Jayson Werth - Werth played for the Syracuse SkyChiefs in 2002, where he hit .257 with 18 home runs and 82 RBI. He made his MLB debut for the Blue Jays later that season. Werth returned to the SkyChiefs in 2003 and hit .237 with nine home runs and 34 RBI. Werth played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals over a 15-season career that included a World Series championship with the Phillies in 2008. He returned to Syracuse as a member of the Nationals for rehab stints in 2012, 2015, and 2017.

Today's Superstars:

Bo Bichette - The two-time MLB All-Star and two-time American League hit leader began the 2019 season with the Buffalo Bisons. In 56 games, Bichette had 61 hits, 8 home runs, and 32 RBI. He was called up to the big leagues on July 29, 2019. Bichette has since had a couple of rehab stints with the Bisons and on May 31 hit the 100th home run of his career, becoming the first Blue Jays shortstop to reach that milestone.

Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. - Vladi Jr. worked his way up through the Jays farm system before landing on the Buffalo Bisons in 2018 as the number one ranked MLB prospect. Guerrero played 39 games for the Bisons and had nine home runs and 24 RBI. He was called up to the Toronto Blue Jays on April 26, 2019. He would go on to lead the major leagues in home runs in 2021. Guerrero signed a huge new contract with the Blue Jays this year, so the best is yet to come.

Bryce Harper - As he rose in the Washington Nationals organization, MLB star Bryce Harper started the 2012 season with Syracuse Chiefs. He was touted as baseball's top prospect at the time and only spent 21 games with the Chiefs before getting called up to the big leagues. Harper went on to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2012 before being named National League Most Valuable Player in 2015. He currently plays for the Philadelphia Phillies, where he won his second NL MVP in 2021.

Jeff McNeil - The "Flying Squirrel" played for the Syracuse Mets in 2019, 2021, and 2025 for rehab stints. Coming up through the Mets organization, McNeil also played for the Kingsport Mets, St. Lucie Mets, Binghamton Mets, and of course, the New York Mets. In 2022, he started the All-Star Game at second base, won the MLB batting title, and won the Silver Slugger Award.  

Trea Turner - Turner played 131 games for the Syracuse Chiefs from 2015-2016 before cementing his big-league status with the Washington Nationals. He had a .306 batting average, hit nine home runs, 49 RBI and stole 39 bases. He was named a Mid-Season and Post-Season All Star with the Chiefs. Turner went on to play for the Nationals, winning a World Series in 2019. He currently plays for the Philadelphia Phillies.

This summer, use your AAA discount to see the Bisons, Red Wings, or Mets in action. Upcoming AAA-sponsored games include the Bisons on June 26, Mets on July 4, and Red Wings on August 22. You might just witness the next big league superstar taking batting practice or fielding grounders—giving you those perfect "I saw them when" bragging rights for years to come.