The Northwest Arkansas Naturals have signed a 10-year player development league license with Major League Baseball to be a member of the new Professional Development League System.
The Naturals will continue to serve as the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals franchise and will compete in the new 10-team Double-A Central Division, formerly the Texas League.
“We are thrilled to continue our strong partnership with the Kansas City Royals,” said Justin Cole, Vice President/General Manager of the Naturals in a news release issued Friday morning. “Through our affiliation with the Royals, we have been able to showcase many exciting players on their way to Kansas City while also providing great family entertainment to baseball fans throughout Northwest Arkansas.”
The new Double-A Central will be divided into North and South divisions. The Naturals will be in the North with the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners), Springfield, Mo. (Cardinals), Tulsa, Okla. (Dodgers), and Wichita, Kan. (Twins), while the South Division will include Texas teams Amarillo (Diamondbacks), Corpus Christi (Astros), Frisco (Rangers), Midland (A’s), and San Antonio.
Both Wichita and San Antonio are newcomers to the league. Prior to relocating to Northwest Arkansas in 2008, the Royals' Double-A affiliate was located in Wichita.
The Royals' minor league system will also include the Omaha Storm Chasers as their Triple-A affiliate, the Quad Cities River Bandits as their High-A affiliate, and the Columbia Fireflies as their Low-A affiliate.
The Naturals' 2021 playing schedule has not been released.