WORCESTER—In just five seasons at Polar Park, the Worcester Red Sox have vaulted from a relocated franchise to the top of Triple-A baseball.
Baseball America has named the WooSox the 2025 recipient of the Freitas Award, honoring the best overall Triple-A organization in Minor League Baseball.
The award recognizes sustained excellence in business operations, community engagement and game-day execution and is presented annually to one franchise at each level of the minor leagues.
Worcester earned the honor in its first year of eligibility, emerging as the top organization among all 30 Triple-A clubs.
The Freitas Award, first presented in 1989, is named for longtime minor league executive Bob Freitas and is widely regarded as one of the industry’s most prestigious honors. A franchise must operate for at least five years to be considered. The WooSox completed their fifth season in Worcester in 2025.
“Our Freitas Award is one that honors excellence in the entirety of a minor league baseball team’s operation,” Baseball America executive editor J.J. Cooper said in a statement. “From the ticket takers to the general manager, it’s an honor we bestow on clubs that have a reputation for going above-and-beyond the expected.”
Cooper also cited the organization’s community focus, noting that outreach and civic engagement were central values championed by Freitas during his career.
WooSox president Dr. Charles Steinberg said the recognition reflects the relationship between the team and the city it now calls home. “We are so very proud of this honor,” Steinberg said in a statement. “Because it’s a reflection of the heart and passion of the people of Worcester.”
WooSox executive vice president and general manager Brooke Cooper credited staff and fans for the club’s rise. In a statement, she thanked Baseball America for the honor and pointed to the work of both year-round and game-day employees, along with a fan base that continues to return to Polar Park in record numbers.
The club is owned by Diamond Baseball Holdings. Executive chairman Pat Battle and chief executive Peter Freund said in a joint statement that the award reflects “exceptional leadership” and a front office that has blended operational performance with deep ties to Worcester.
Baseball America correspondent John Manuel recently examined the WooSox’ first five seasons, writing that the organization tapped into Worcester’s “habits, points of pride, [and] idiosyncrasies” to create a ballpark experience that resonated with fans while sustaining success on the field as part of the Boston Red Sox player development system.
Since relocating from Pawtucket, R.I., and opening Polar Park in May 2021, the WooSox have compiled five consecutive winning seasons while launching a wave of players to the major leagues, including Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Brayan Bello, Ceddanne Rafaela and All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran.
The team’s predecessor, the Pawtucket Red Sox, was also among the early recipients of the Freitas Award, winning in 1990 and again in 2003 — a lineage that now extends to Worcester with one of the most comprehensive honors in minor league baseball.
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