When Minor League ballparks across the country fling open their gates next week, much will feel as it once did before. Hallowed league names have returned. Capacity crowds will be in attendance. Baseball’s top prospects will continue climbing toward the big leagues.

This year, one of the game’s most innovative and beloved initiatives is bigger than ever.

Copa de la Diversión, MiLB’s “Fun Cup,” is back for its fifth season with more teams, stories, logos, uniforms and promotions than ever before. The celebration of Hispanic communities across the Minor League map welcomes eight new teams in 2022 for a total of 85 unique on-field identities, the most in the initiative’s history. Those clubs will combine to play 387 games as their Copa alternate identities this season in a schedule unveiled by Minor League Baseball on Thursday.

“The continued growth of the Copa de la Diversión initiative reinforces the importance of connecting with our Latino fans and the Latino community nationwide,” Kurt Hunzeker, MLB’s vice president of Minor League business operations, said in a release. “Our teams continue to authentically connect with the Latino population in their communities, leading to a deeper and more meaningful fan experience.”

Copa de la Diversión was launched in 2017 with just a handful of pilot teams as the centerpiece of Minor League Baseball’s larger Hispanic outreach platform, Es Divertido Ser Un Fan (“It’s Fun To Be A Fan”). Since then, the program has grown rapidly with 77 of 120 total Minor League clubs participating in 2021. In addition to the eight new additions this season, five teams are back with redesigned identities.

Among the new members of the Copa family are the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders of the Texas League, who will suit up as the Quesos de Frisco.

"It is important to our organization and all of Minor League Baseball that we continue to embrace everyone in and around our communities through the Copa initiative,” RoughRiders president Victor Rojas said. “We are excited to honor our rich and diverse Latino culture in hopes of creating a deeper connection to our community on a year-round basis."

Joining Frisco as new entrants on the Copa landscape are the three High-A clubs -- the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Manzanas Luchadores de Fort Wayne), Great Lakes Loons (Pepinillos Picantes del Norte) and Quad Cities River Bandits (Bandidos del Rio de las Ciudades Cuádaruples); two Double-A teams -- the Somerset Patriots (Zorros de Somerset) and Wichita Wind Surge (Tumba Vacas de Wichita); and two Triple-A teams -- the St. Paul Saints (Santos de St. Paul) and Syracuse Mets (Congueros de Syracuse). The Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks (Cumbias) and High-A Winston-Salem Dash (Salsa) return to the fold with new identities while the Single-A Fresno Grizzlies, Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs and High-A South Bend Cubs have refreshed their looks.

The Copa de la Diversión experience has evolved over the program’s four seasons of existence, all in the name of Hispanic and Latinx community outreach and engagement. Teams take the field in alternate identities honoring elements of their communities’ Hispanic and Latinx roots, heritage or modern day culture. The most visible dimension of the Copa program is each team’s unique on-field look. With colorful logos and uniforms, Copa de la Diversión identities have been a marketing and merchandising bonanza, increasing the visibility of the program in unprecedented ways.

But Copa goes far beyond just what players wear between the lines. Over the initiative’s first four seasons, teams partnered with over 200 Latinx organizations on a wide range of community events and charitable endeavors. Additionally, Copa has brought heaps of fans into Minor League ballparks across the country. Over the platform’s first four seasons, Copa de la Diversión games had nearly 20 percent higher average attendance than non-Copa games, and teams across the initiative saw significant increases in merchandise sales, local partnerships and concessions revenue.

Following the 2022 Minor League season, one team will reign supreme as Copa de la Diversión champions, honored by MiLB’s Latino Leadership and Community Growth Council. The winner will be based on team performance in multiple categories, including ballpark experience, community engagement, philanthropic impact and more. The Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (Mariachis de Albuquerque) won the first two Copa overall performance championships in 2018 and 2019, while the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox (Wepas de Worcester) claimed 2021’s title.

The 2022 Copa de la Diversión slate begins on April 9 when the High-A Hillsboro Hops take the field as the Soñadores de Hillsboro against visiting Tri-City in Northwest League Opening Week action.