PNC Field

PNC Field has been the home of Triple-A baseball in northeastern Pennsylvania since 1989, when it opened as Lackawanna County Stadium in Moosic, a borough in the suburban ring between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. The 10,000-seat ballpark has served as the developmental home for the New York Yankees' top minor league prospects for over two decades, making it one of the most talent-rich stages in the entire minor league system. The parade of future Bronx Bombers who have taken the field at PNC Field reads like a roster of modern Yankees greats.

The stadium's original construction was functional rather than inspired, reflecting the budget constraints and design conventions of the late 1980s. A $40 million renovation completed in 2013 transformed the facility, essentially rebuilding the stadium within its existing footprint. The renovation modernized every aspect of the fan experience — new seating, expanded concourses, upgraded concessions, improved sight lines, and a video board that brought the venue into the contemporary era. The renamed PNC Field emerged as a thoroughly modern ballpark that retained the accessibility and community character of its predecessor.

The franchise, rebranded from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons to the Yankees and eventually to the RailRiders, has drawn consistent support from the passionate sports fans of northeastern Pennsylvania. The RailRiders name, adopted in 2013, references the region's railroad heritage — the anthracite coal industry that built the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area depended entirely on the railroads that transported coal to market, and the franchise identity connects the team to that industrial past.

PNC Field's most distinctive characteristic is its connection to the Yankees pipeline. Fans in Moosic have watched Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Aaron Judge, and dozens of other future stars play on their field, creating a vicarious connection to Yankee glory that gives the franchise a significance beyond its minor league classification. For the baseball fans of northeastern Pennsylvania, PNC Field is the closest thing to Yankee Stadium this side of the Bronx.