It’s a proven fact that summer and baseball go hand in hand, and from June until mid-August, Portland is home to one of the best ballpark experiences in the country. In just three short seasons, the Portland Pickles (whose 2019 season kicks off tonight) have gone from charter members of the now-defunct Great West League to a powerhouse club in a competitive West Coast League. The WCL has produced dozens of major leaguers throughout the years, including current Yankees ace James Paxton, and Mariners outfielder and fan favorite Mitch Haniger.
If you weren’t among the 64,000 fans to make it out to Walker Stadium in Lents Park last summer during the Pickles’ inaugural season in the WCL, you missed out on witnessing the team go 37 and 17 on their way to claiming the best record in the league. Despite their commanding regular-season form, the team was ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Corvallis Knights. Fortunately, the Pickles are set to return seven pitchers from last year’s lights-out roster, along with a slew of new talent pulled from D1 college teams around the nation, giving them yet another legitimate shot at a title run.
