By Franc Romanowski
Staff Writer
The upcoming 2026 Trenton Thunder baseball season will be different for fans as the club works to complete the second phase of ballpark renovations and welcomes a change in team ownership.
Recent renovations to the more than 30-year-old ballpark include a new playing surface designed to reduce rain delays, upgraded sound and video boards and the installment of a suite-style indoor area for fans called Victory Lounge, Mike Warren, director of broadcast and media relations for Trenton Thunder, told The Signal in a phone interview.
“I mean, there’s so much going into it and so many more things that we’re going to be able to do at that ballpark because of all that’s being done,” Warren said. “I think that fans are really going to enjoy what we have to offer, not just in 2026, but so much beyond that.”
The renovations to the ballpark began prior to the 2025 season with upgrades to player facilities as the first phase of the approximately $25 million investment in the ballpark. During the first phase, clubhouses, locker rooms, batting tunnels and the safety net were completely remodeled, according to the Thunder’s website for the project.
The second and final phase of renovations are expected to be completed before the Thunder takes the field for opening day on June 2, according to Warren.
Installation of the new video board at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. (Photo provided by Mike Warren)
Additionally, the Mercer County Park Commission and Trenton Thunder stockholders approved a transfer in team ownership from now-former owners Joe Plumeri, Joe Finley and Joe Carusco to Diamond Baseball Holdings in early April.
“Our vision was always about families and building the community,” said Plumeri in a press release. “We believe DBH is the right partner to build on that legacy and ensure the Thunder remain a vibrant part of the Mercer County and Regional sports landscape for years to come.”
The new ownership will be able to provide “resources, experience and stability that helps strengthen the Thunder for the long term,” Warren said.
However, he stressed that the transfer would only serve to enhance the experience of fans, not completely change it.
“[D]ay-to-day operations wise, including our front office and the overall fan experience, that remains consistent, as does our commitment to Mercer County, the entire community and the MLB Draft League as well,” he said.
With the new ownership, there is anticipation for the team to become re-affiliated as a minor league team, as they were until the 2021 season.
“This change in ownership is really setting us up to be in the best position to become affiliated with a major league team again,” Joseph Pizza, executive director of the Mercer County Park Commission, told MercerMe. “This is what all the work we’ve been doing is about.”
But, according to Warren, fans that have been waiting for such a move will have to wait a little longer since it is not top of mind for the Thunder at the current moment. “It’s a process that will be something the team will look forward to in the future,” he told The Signal.
“There’s always teams that are watching,” he said. “There’s always people looking at how we go about our process of what we’re doing. And, I think that, when that time comes, the Thunder will absolutely be ready for that. But there’s nothing that we can say more than how proud we are to be a part of the MLB Draft League and how excited we are for this 2026 season in the Draft League.”
