Tonight in Fresno: Your Grizzlies Need You at Chukchansi Park
As heard on Q97.1's Greg & Dre Morning Show — June 17th. Here's everything you need to know before first pitch.
If you caught Greg & Dre on Q97.1 this morning, you already know — the Fresno Grizzlies are home tonight, and they need the 559 in those seats. We're backing that up with everything you need to know: the game details, the food, the deals, and why tonight is worth getting off the couch for.
Let's go.
There's a reason baseball has endured for over 150 years. It's not just a sport — it's an American tradition that plays out in the summer heat, in small cities and big ones, with families in the stands and generations of stories in the air.
And Minor League Baseball? It's the purest form of it. No $15 parking apps. No 70,000-person crowds where you can't see the field. At Chukchansi Park, you're close enough to hear the ball hit the mitt. You can see the players' faces when they make a big play. You feel part of something real.
The Fresno Grizzlies have called Downtown Fresno home for 25 years. Twenty-five summers. Generations of kids who grew up at Chukchansi Park now bring their own kids. That continuity matters. Supporting this team is supporting the city.
🌟 Colorado Rockies Top Prospects — Playing RIGHT HERE
Here's the part that should get any baseball fan excited: the Fresno Grizzlies are stacked with Colorado Rockies top prospects. These are the names you'll be telling people about in five years, saying "I saw him play in Fresno back in '26."
At 19 years old, Ethan Holliday might be the most decorated teenager to ever wear a Grizzlies uniform. The son of 7-time MLB All-Star Matt Holliday — who himself was a Rockie — and the younger brother of Jackson Holliday, the #1 overall pick in 2022, Ethan carries an extraordinary baseball bloodline and the talent to back it up.
He was the consensus #1 high school prospect in the 2025 draft class. Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and Perfect Game all agreed: this kid is special. The Rockies took him 4th overall and gave him the largest signing bonus ever given to a high school player — $9 million. He earned every penny, coming off a high school season where he hit .611 with 19 home runs and 64 RBI.
The 6'4", 210-lb left-handed slugger has power projections of 35+ home runs at the MLB level. Unfortunately, Ethan is out for the rest of the 2026 season — he underwent surgery for a stress fracture in his left foot and is not expected back until late in the year at the earliest, per MLB.com. He played 33 games before the injury, slashing .262/.395/.557 with 9 home runs and 32 RBI.
Here's what still makes this wild: Ethan Holliday is sitting on $9 million in the bank and rehabbing to come back stronger. His $9M signing bonus was paid upfront the moment he signed — guaranteed, regardless of the injury. The actual MLB salary doesn't kick in until he reaches the majors, but the bonus is already in the bank. When he's healthy and back in a Grizzlies uniform next season, Chukchansi Park will be the place to see him. Don't sleep on it.
He'll be back. And when he is, you'll want to be there.
From a small town in Mississippi to the top of the Rockies pitching pipeline — JB Middleton's story is pure baseball romance. After a breakout junior season at the University of Southern Mississippi (2.31 ERA, 10–1, 1st-team All-American), the Rockies grabbed him 45th overall in the 2025 draft, making him the highest-ever drafted pitcher from Southern Mississippi.
His arsenal is nasty: a 93–97 mph four-seam fastball that touches 97, a tight upper-80s slider, and a plus changeup that generated a 54% whiff rate in 2025. He's a legitimate back-of-the-rotation MLB starter in the making. Coming back from an early-season IL stint, when Middleton's on the mound at Chukchansi Park, you're watching someone on their way up.
Let's talk about the real reason some of us go to baseball games. The food at Chukchansi Park is legitimately good — and affordable in a way that most sports venues in 2026 absolutely are not.
Pre-game tip: Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company is a short walk from the park. Grab a craft beer before you head in — the neighborhood around Chukchansi Park has genuinely good options.
Summer baseball is a family tradition for a reason. Chukchansi Park is built for it:
- 🌊 Splash Park — 1,500 sq ft of water play in right field. The kids will love it. You'll also love it because it keeps them busy between innings.
- 🎡 Fun Zone — Carousel, inflatable slide, pitching & batting activities. A whole separate world for the little ones.
- 💰 Wednesday Bundle Deal — 2 reserve tickets + 2 Island Water Park tickets + 2 hot dogs + 2 sodas for $39, presented by Island Water Park. A family of four can have a great night without it hurting.
- 🅿️ Parking — $10 at the park. Arrive early to get a good spot and soak in the pre-game energy.
- 📱 Free Wi-Fi throughout the stadium, plus device charging stations.
The Fresno Grizzlies have been in Downtown Fresno since 2002. That's a quarter century of summer nights, walk-off wins, fireworks, and community. Generations of Fresno kids have grown up coming to Chukchansi Park — and now they're bringing their own families.
When you buy a ticket to a Grizzlies game, you're not just watching baseball. You're supporting a piece of Downtown Fresno. The businesses around the park, the staff at the concession stands, the players who'll be signing autographs near the dugout — it all connects back to this city and the people who live here.
The 559 is more than a zip code. It's a community that backs its own. Tonight is a chance to show up for a team that calls Fresno home — a team that's been here through thick and thin for 25 years and counting.
⚾ First Pitch is at 6:50 PM Tonight
Fresno Grizzlies vs. Inland Empire 66ers · Chukchansi Park, 1800 Tulare St, Fresno
Wednesday bundle: 2 reserve tickets + 2 Island Water Park tickets + 2 hot dogs + 2 sodas — $39 (presented by Island Water Park)
Presented by 559 After Dark · As heard on Q97.1 FM — Greg & Dre Morning Show