Baseball season is officially back!

The Jumbo Shrimp season begins at home on Friday night. Here's what you need to know about the 2024 season, from the team's top prospects to a list of the popular promotions.

Ken Babby, the Jumbo Shrimp owner, is our guest for This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition. He speaks with gratitude, conviction, and appreciation of the business he owns and operates in Jacksonville.

Downtown businesses are pumped for future “transformational changes” coming to the baseball grounds.

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp unveiled plans for stadium improvements at 121 Financial Ballpark on Wednesday. Scroll through the gallery above to see what those look like.

The Jumbo Shrimp took the wraps off the most ambitious plans in franchise history, a $31.8 million project that will help take 121Financial Ballpark into the next era of minor league baseball and beyond.

Miami Marlins star Jazz Chisholm Jr. is coming back to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp for an injury rehab assignment.

The newest member of News4JAX will be joining Jamal St. Cyr, Justin Barney and the rest of the sports team in covering high school and college games, telling stories of local athletes, following the Jumbo Shrimp, the Icemen and of course the Jags.

Miami Marlins outfielder Avisaíl García will be joining the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp for rehab assignment. García's first series with the Jumbo Shrimp is Monday at the Durham Bulls.

There are some familiar faces at 121 Financial Ballpark this week but they are wearing Durham Bulls uniforms. Former Bishop Kenny star Ben Gamel and Fernandina Beach alum Michael Johns are experiencing their first series as professionals at the Baseball Grounds.

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp said a big local celebrity was lined up to throw out the first pitch as the team hosted the home opener on Tuesday night.

Triple-A ball is back in the River City as the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp prepare for their home opener at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday against the Durham Bulls at 121 Financial Ball Park.

Are you ready for some baseball, Jacksonville? The Jumbo Shrimp are.

The Jumbo Shrimp season starts April 4th

Harold Craw wanted the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to connect with the area’s storied and diverse baseball tradition. What better way to do that than by connecting several local schools with Jacksonville’s past and making an event out of it.

The Jumbo Shrimp hosted a well-attended watch party on the field at 121 Financial Ballpark where fans of both teams watched the game on a big screen.

More than 200 volunteers from CSX and around the city teamed up Saturday with Operation Gratitude to provide care packages to deployed troops.

With several events happening Saturday night in downtown Jacksonville, including a 5K race, drivers should stay alert for possible detours and traffic backups.

Now is the chance for you to become a part of the Affordable Family Fun the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp has to offer.

Peyton Burdick knows the odds are long. Most minor league baseball players never come close to reaching the big leagues.

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp honor baseball legend Jackie Robinson by wearing the Negro Leagues Jax Red Caps Uniform.

Beautiful and milder. Overnight lows in the upper 50s and low 60s. Partly cloudy and breezy with highs in the 70s. Winds will be onshore (easterly) gusty up to 25 mph. These conditions will be with us through the weekend.

After two years of restrictions and even no baseball -- the team is ready for a full season, beginning with a six-game series against the Worcester Red Sox.

The opening day will feature a street festival between the ballpark and VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena for several attractions, including a climbing wall, street games and interactive vendor booths. DJ Kevin Peffer will provide music as well as a local high school drumline.

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp is hosting two job fairs in March.

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are holding an all-call audition for National Anthem performers.

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp is hosting two job fairs in February for 2022 seasonal food and beverage positions at 121 Financial Ballpark.

Calling all creative artists in the Crustacean Nation!

The Jumbo Shrimp have opened a number of exclusive climate-controlled suites with indoor seating and outdoor balcony seats.

Get ready to laugh at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

Eddy Alvarez has one of the most unique journeys out there.

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp player Eddy Alvarez was selected to play on the US Olympic team on Friday.

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp will be hosting six job fairs at 121 Financial Ballpark over the next five weeks for seasonal food and beverage positions.

The fireworks tradition for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp continues this year at 121 Financial Ballpark.

Following the restrictions implemented due to COVID-19, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp held their first full-capacity home game Tuesday night at 121 Financial Ballpark.

The Jumbo Shrimp plan to start operating at 100% capacity starting in June. The announcement was made in an email to season ticket holders that was sent out Saturday and confirmed by the team on Monday afternoon.

Baseball is back in Jacksonville.

The Jumbo Shrimp are planning to stay in Jacksonville for a long time.

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are back in action for the first time in 20 months and also mark the return of Jacksonville baseball to AAA ranks for the first time since 1968.

Baseball is back in Jacksonville. Finally.

Scott Kornberg, broadcaster for the Jumbo Shrimp, said the team is already seeing a big response from fans about the upcoming season.

The minor league baseball season is weeks away and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp announced a slew of updates to their 2021 slate on Monday afternoon to get it going. The team unveiled a new sponsor (FIS), popular promotions, seating protocols, and, yes, the return of the always popular bobbleheads.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s May 4 Opening Day approaches, 121 Financial Ballpark will serve as the alternate training site for the Miami Marlins once Major League Baseball Spring Training camps conclude. The Jumbo Shrimp’s home stadium is one of just 11 Triple-A venues across the country to receive a nod as an alternate training site. AdThe group of players reporting to the Marlins’ alternate training site at 121 Financial Ballpark is expected to be determined and announced prior to Miami’s Opening Day game on Thursday, April 1. Season tickets, mini plans, and group outings for the 2021 Jumbo Shrimp season are on sale now. Visit www.jaxshrimp.com or call the Jumbo Shrimp at 904-358-2846 for more information.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp general manager Harold Craw continues to make an impact in his position. Craw’s next task: making an impact on Minor League Baseball’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. On Wednesday, Craw was one of seven people chosen for the committee. He has been with the Jumbo Shrimp since 2015. It also includes Emily Jaenson of the Reno Aces, Martie Cordaro of the Omaha Storm Chasers, Chuck Greenberg of the Frisco RoughRiders and Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Allan Benavides of the Eugene Emeralds and Michele Meyer-Shipp of Major League Baseball.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The start of the minor league baseball season in Jacksonville is on hold. The Jumbo Shrimp’s 2021 season, and the team’s return to Triple-A, is being pushed back by roughly a month by Major League Baseball. But Major League Baseball aligned everything on Wednesday, pushing the Triple-A season back to start when the other levels do. “All of our energy is now shifting to creating a memorable Triple-A season that will begin in early May. A total of 120 minor league clubs accepted Professional Development League licenses with Major League Baseball affiliates in order to modernize the farm system and be better geographically aligned.

But he’s doing just that each and every time out as the general manager of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Craw first joined Jacksonville’s minor league baseball franchise in 2015. And that makes him the longest tenured African-American general manger in minor league baseball history. Both teams donned Jacksonville Red Caps jerseys to celebrate Negro League baseball and Black History Month. Craw is the only current African-American general manager in minor league baseball, and only the second African-American to ever be named a general manager in the minor leagues.

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s move to Triple-A is complete. The Jumbo Shrimp will play in the Triple-A East league and in the Southeast Division. Minor league baseball underwent a massive overhaul last offseason to reduce the number of teams from 162 to 120 and provide four affiliates for each Major League Baseball team. The full leagues were released Friday as well, with the Triple-A league replaced what was the International League and the Pacific Coast League. “This is a momentous day for Jumbo Shrimp fans to officially bring the top level of Minor League Baseball to 121 Financial Ballpark,” said Jumbo Shrimp owner and CEO Ken Babby.

Since then, the stadium changed its name from the Baseball Grounds to 121 Financial Ballpark, and COVID-19 has changed the way the world looks at large gatherings like sporting events. The Jacksonville baseball drought will finally come to an end on Feb. 12 when Raines and Ribault will hit the field for the High School Heritage Classic. “As long as you are moving inside or around 121 Financial Ballpark, you must be wearing a face coving. Once you are seated in place in your seat you may remove your face covering.”While 121 Financial Ballpark has not hosted a game since COVID-19 began, fans have had the chance to attend other events there like bingo and movie night. Those events have helped the Jumbo Shrimp prepare for when fans return to the park for a ball game.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As part of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s salute to Black History Month, the club will be hosting the second annual High School Heritage Classic exhibition game between Raines and Ribault high schools at 121 Financial Ballpark. The Raines and Ribault players will wear custom Jacksonville Red Caps uniforms in a tribute to the Negro Leagues team from 1938 to 1942. Throughout the exhibition game, there will be historical references to Negro Leagues players and teams. “Personally, this is a dream come true,” said Andrea Williams, the Jumbo Shrimp’s director of community relations. The Raines Vikings defeated the Ribault Trojans 8-4 in the inaugural High School Heritage Classic in February 2020.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are moving up. Jacksonville’s baseball team is moving from Double A to Triple A, a move announced Wednesday afternoon. “We are incredibly excited about the prospects of bringing the top level of Minor League Baseball to the excellent Jumbo Shrimp fans in Jacksonville and throughout Northeast Florida,” said Jumbo Shrimp owner & CEO Ken Babby. The Jumbo Shrimp didn’t play in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Jumbo Shrimp played in Triple A from 1962-68 when they were known as the Suns and were in the International League.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are building off of a successful high school baseball classic and branching out into college. The Jumbo Shrimp are partnering with BCSG 360 to host Historically Black Colleges and University programs Edward Waters and Savannah State in the inaugural JAX Diamond Classic on March 22, 2021 at 121 Financial Ballpark. “We are excited and honored to host the JAX Diamond Classic,” said Jumbo Shrimp executive vice president/general manager Harold Craw. “It is with great pride we showcase our facility to not only the teams from Edward Waters and Savannah State, but also to their fans, alumni and supporters.”Last February, the Jumbo Shrimp hosted the inaugural High School Heritage Classic between Raines and Ribault at the Ballpark. Part of the proceeds from the game between EWC and Savannah State will be donated to bolster programs for college admittance, scholarships and college preparation for students.

Despite canceled season, Jumbo Shrimp keeping all full-time employees on staffPublished: July 2, 2020, 11:36 pmOn Tuesday, we told you about the season being canceled for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and all of Minor League Baseball.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The minor league baseball season was officially canceled Tuesday afternoon, ending the seasons of teams like the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp before they began and shifting focus to the next phase of planning for teams. “The news that we will not have Jumbo Shrimp baseball at 121 Financial Ballpark is devastating,” Jumbo Shrimp owner/CEO Ken Babby said in a statement. The Jumbo Shrimp have ranked in the top 25 of minor league baseball merchandise sales in back-to-back seasons, a first for the franchise. “We are incredibly disappointed and crushed to not have a Jumbo Shrimp baseball season at 121 Financial Ballpark in 2020,” said Jumbo Shrimp executive vice president/general manager Harold Craw said in a statement. We will hopefully await Jumbo Shrimp baseball to return in 2021.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Major League Baseball is coming back, but what about the minor leagues, and more importantly, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp? When Major League Baseball returns in late July with a 60-game schedule, it will put baseball back on TV for fans. “I wish I could do an interview and say if we were going to play or not,” said Jumbo Shrimp general manager Harold Craw. While the expectation is that the minor league season will be canceled, no official announcement has come down yet. Even without baseball, the Jumbo Shrimp have come up with creative events to bring fans to the ballpark.

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are hosting an Independence Day Fireworks Celebration at 9:15 p.m. Friday, July 3. The Jumbo Shrimp are capping capacity at 2,000 attendees, who will be placed in accordance with social distancing guidelines in the 121 Financial Ballpark seating bowl and bleachers. Tickets for the Jumbo Shrimps Independence Day Fireworks Celebration must be either printed in advance or displayed on a mobile device. We are thrilled to safely host guests for our annual Independence Day Fireworks Celebration at 121 Financial Ballpark, said Jumbo Shrimp executive vice president and general manager Harold Craw. All Jumbo Shrimp staff will be wearing face coverings, and guests are also strongly encouraged to wear face coverings.

First up: a ‘Frozen 2’ movie night at 121 Financial Ballpark on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m.As Major League Baseball continues to debate on how to bring the sport back, minor league teams are still hard at work. But Jumbo Shrimp general manager Harold Craw said on Wednesday that the show, even if it’s not baseball, will go on. “And so our focus has been on the safety of the event.”The Jumbo Shrimp aren’t the only team trying to come up with an idea to bring people to their stadium. While the Jumbo Shrimp say that was a good idea don’t expect to see 121 Financial Ballpark on Airbnb anytime soon. But even if there isn’t baseball, we will have something up our sleeve.”Craw says he was excited to see college sports coming back because that could bring some good news for the Jumbo Shrimp.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp players will continue to be paid through August, according to a report from Baseball America on Wednesday, ensuring that most minor leaguers here will earn the majority of their paychecks despite not playing. The Jumbo Shrimp are the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Miami Marlins. According to The Athletic, the average salary for minor league players was $15,000 in Triple-A, $9,350 in Double-A and $6,000 in Single-A. Players are only paid during the season and don’t get paid during spring training or the offseason. The news that the Marlins will pay minor leaguers is a 180 from how Oakland is handling paying its minor leaguers.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp won’t start their baseball season until at least June 15 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep the sport under wraps. The season was scheduled to start on April 9 but the pandemic scrapped not only that, but games across the Major League Baseball level, too. Tickets for Jumbo Shrimp home games that had already been purchased may be exchanged for future games this year. Jumbo shrimp general manager Harold Craw says he still believes that the Shrimp will take the field here in Jacksonville and he hopes it will be on June 15. Baseball as a whole has been hit hard, although minor league baseball was already facing a potential significant change.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Imagine going with a friend to watch the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp baseball game, and you're the only two people in the stadium! Josh Riberio, nicknamed Junior, and his father, Josh Riberio Sr., were excited to see the Jumbo Shrimp take on the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. It's -- I don't really have words for it," Josh Riberio said. Josh Riberio had to stop playing baseball two years ago to undergo treatment. All Jumbo Shrimp fans were welcomed into the ball park at the end of the fifth inning to share Josh Riberio's night at the ballpark.

There is nothing better than that at least for me.It was never the plan growing up for Miller to become a professional athlete or play college sports. It was never the plan for me to go and play a college sport. Although Miller never planned to play college sports, he always dreamed of being a UNC Tarheel. Just before his senior season of high school, Miller committed to play baseball at UNC, just not the one he dreamed of. About two days after I graduated high school, Im still planning on going to Asheville.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jumbo Shrimps fireworks celebration will go on. Despite Wednesdays late-afternoon barrage of thunderstorms, the team is still planning on business as usual for its game against visiting Chattanooga at 7:05 p.m. More so than the game, the Jumbo Shrimp will cap the night with its most patriotic and festive fireworks show of the year. It's the final of a four-game homestand against the Lookouts before the Jumbo Shrimp head on the road to visit Mobile. But more importantly, the fireworks will still go on. Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (@JaxShrimp) July 3, 2019Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

Scampi and Scott Kornberg with the Jumbo Shrimp stop by the Morning Show with some big plans. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jumbo Shrimp were the talk of minor league baseball last year with their unique merchandise, record-setting attendance and a team in the playoffs. The challenge to follow that up begins Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m at the Baseball Grounds when the Jumbo Shrimp have their home opener vs. "Last year was exciting for us and one thing we learned is people enjoy Jumbo Shrimp and I know they enjoy Jumbo Shrimp baseball. Randy Ready returns for his second year as the Jumbo Shrimp manager. The Jumbo Shrimp host Mobile through Sunday, April 15.