St. Paul Saints
By: Jordan Venell
With the Minnesota Twins regular season in full swing, fans across the state are heading to Target Field for a drink, some food and the hope of a Twins win.
Or are they?
Less than a month into the season, many Twins fans are already preparing for a uniquely disappointing season, and not without reason. After a successful 2023 regular season, and their first playoff-series win in 20 years, a buzz of optimism quickly filled within the organization. That optimism quickly faded.
Over the next two seasons, the Twins slid to a combined record 152-172, missing the playoffs both years. Things only got worse during the 2025 trade deadline, when the Twins dealt ten players including fan favorites like Johan Duran and Carlos Correa.
Off the field, frustration continued to fester in fans who hoped the Twins’ ownbership would sell. They did not.
Now, as the 2026 season begins a growing number of fans feel let-down and unmotivated to spend
time and money supporting an organization that has spent that last 20+ years shattering fans’ hopes.
Fortunately, there’s an alternative for baseball fans in the Twin Cities who still crave the ballpark experience. The St. Paul Saints, the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate, offers a different kind of experience—one grounded in fun, community and a laid-back atmosphere. Here are some key reasons to visit St. Paul this baseball season.
PHOTO / Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints
Affordability:
For many fans affordability is the biggest motivator to check out a St. Paul Saints game. While concession prices are still somewhat expensive, you’ll likely spend less overall compared to a Minnesota Twins game. The biggest difference comes down to ticket value and seat quality. The Twins offer 10$ seats, but those are often located high up with a poor view of the field. The Saints, on the other hand, provide similarly priced options but with much better views. In my own experience, I paid 35$ for a ticket and ended up sitting behind home plate on a swing seat with my family. The likelihood of finding high quality 35$ seats at a Twins game is minimal.
Mid-Inning Entertainment:
Another staple of the St. Paul Saints ballpark experience is their creative and constant mid-inning entertainment. Although most teams feature occasional mid-inning entertainments, the Saints raise the bar, ensuring theres something happening on the field between every inning. The challenges often are quite unique, whether its fans attempting to drop rolls of toilet paper from the center field wall into a human sized moving toilet bowl, or two people in sumo suits racing to see who can recycle the most bottles. In all, the mid-inning entertainment gives fans something to laugh about and keeps spectators engaged on the field.
Fun Promotions:
The St. Paul Saints also run a wide range of promotions through- out the season, elevating that ballpark experience in ways that go beyond the game. From Friday night fireworks to themed events like Star Wars nights or unique attractions like Cosmic Baseball there’s almost always some promotion happening when the Saints take the field. Fans can also take advantage of seating promotions, including birthday seating packages that come with drinks and peanuts, or even rent out a fireplace on the right field wall to stay warm on chilly nights. Overall, the Saints have planned more than 70 promotions for this season each one designed to provide a memorable and enjoyable experience at the ballpark.