The Fredericksburg Nationals Are Changing Hands ...
... but the Silber family will have important roles with the team.
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Is this a bitter-sweet day? That was the question the Advance had for Seth Silber following the announcement that the Fredericksburg Nationals were sold to Diamond Baseball Holdings.
Silber said the day was “all positives,” and referred to the letter sent to the fans announcing the sale.
“We made a decision to sell the team in order to ensure its growth and continued vitality in our community,” the letter said. “Due to a combination of family considerations, evolution of the industry and growth of the Team, we made the determination that it was time to turn over the ownership to an entity that could ensure the great promise of this franchise for decades to come.”
The Fred Nats began playing in 2021 and “has ranked among the top five in Single-A attendance every season,” according to Milb.com news.
The baseball stadium the Nats play in is arguably one of the finest Single-A minor league parks in the country. Attendance was just short of 200,000 in its inaugural season (199,071), was over 260,000 each season in 2022 and 2023, and fell to just over 232,000 last season.
The team’s best season was in 2024 when they defeated the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in the Carolina League Championship Series. It was the fifth league title in franchise history, which dates back to 1978.
The team will continue to be affiliated with the Washington Nationals and will stay in Fredericksburg.
"We are thrilled to welcome the FredNats to the DBH family,” Pat Battle and Peter Freund, Executive Chairman and CEO of DBH, respectively, to Milb.com. “This is a team that has quickly become a cornerstone of the Fredericksburg community. They play in a beautiful ballpark that has welcomed nearly one million fans since its debut in 2021 and established itself as a hub for family-friendly entertainment and local pride. We’re excited to build on that foundation by delivering even more year-round fun for fans, deepening our community ties, and continuing our strong partnership with the Nationals.”
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