Sports in America are always good for some fun. It’s a chance to get out, be with family, and even have the chance to not worry about your phone as much as you normally would. But all good things must come to an end sooner rather than later. You want your team to go as far as they can go, but a lot of the times…they come up just short.
The Ontario Tower Buzzers, the newest team in the minor league system of the two-time World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, had a memorable first season. Fans got to see racing hot dogs, people dressed as hamburgers, and kids putting their dance moves to the test against team mascot, Maverick. We had Dodger royalty come for a visit from Shaun Green to Mickey Hatcher, we had fireworks and music, and we were treated to some unexpected surprises.
Despite the amazing atmosphere, the Tower Buzzers’ season had to end. Unfortunately, it ended much sooner than later. Despite clinching a playoff spot in their first season, the Tower Buzzers were swept out of the Divisional Round by the Lake Elsinore Storm, the minor league affiliate of the San Diego Padres.
I was fortunate to experience the stadium for its inaugural season. The stadium was full of energy and so amazing to explore. What really made it special were the fans. The fans were energetic, pumped, and motivated as one could expect from Dodger fans. The food was surprisingly good, and they had their own ice cream shop which, unsurprisingly, was popular during those dog days of summer.
And to quote the movie “Field of Dreams”, if you build it, they will come. And they came.
In the first season, the team ranked number one in attendance for all Single A teams and number 13 for all minor leagues. More than 4,100 fans attended Buzzer games each day or evening. The ONT Field was awarded “Ballpark of the Year” by 2026 BaseballParks.com.
Of course there were some things that could be improved. Management admitted they didn’t have nearly enough stuff on giveaway nights, especially for season ticket holders. Management has claimed that they look to improve on their first season to make next season just as memorable for fans.
As for the next season for the team themselves, there are also improvements that must be made. The Tower Buzzers got little to no help from their bullpen all season. The bullpen seemed to implode in later innings with alarming frequency.
They also need to show better discipline at the plate. For example, outfield prospect Ching-Hsien Ko has amazing bat power and has the potential to be a big home run hitter. However, the number of times he struck out jumped up from 72 in 2025 to 128 in 2026. Yes, he played more games this year than last year, but other players like Emir Morales and Mairo Martinus made those adjustments and were promoted. The rest of the Tower Buzzers just didn’t seem to cut it at the plate, including Ko.
The phrase “there’s always next season” has been repeated for decades. So as the season ends for many minor league players, so does it end for the Tower Buzzers. Nevertheless, I look forward to returning to ONT Field for their second season, and I will be hungry for more.
