Padres Triple-A Affiliate Wins Diversity-Based Award

The San Diego Padres are one of the strongest teams in baseball when it comes to dedication to diversity, and their Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Matachines (El Paso Chihuahuas) were selected as the 2026 winner of MiLB’s season-long event series, Copa de la Diversión, with the award announced during Minor League Baseball’s Fall Business Summit in Louisville.

The program is the cornerstone of MiLB’s Latino fan engagement initiative, Copa de la Diversión (“Copa”) established an innovative new platform designed to authentically connecting MiLB teams with their diverse communities, per the report that appeared on MLB.com. 

The program embraces the culture and values that resonate most with U.S. Latinos across the country, and it’s now in its ninth season. A total of 94 MiLB teams participated in Copa in 2026, and El Paso stands out because it’s based on the team’s Matachines identity, which is an ode to the masked group of dancers that perform ritual dances, per the report. 

The goal in introducing this identity was to honor the cultural tradition, history and people behind the Matachines, and to create an identity the community could rally around. Matachines dancing brings together Indigenous, Spanish, and Mexican influences, making it a natural representation of the unique cultural fabric of El Paso and the borderland community.

The program has been a huge hit in El Paso, as the attendance numbers show. It's known informally as “Copa,” and it increased attendance by 27 percent over last year and Matachines merchandise flew off the shelves all season long, according to the report, although no specific numbers were provided. Still, it was a definitive sign that the logo and branding was appealing to local residents and the identity was culturally relevant to them.

This wasn’t just a national endeavor, either. The Chihuahuas worked locally with multiple community groups and cultural organizations, including the St. Pius X Matachines group and local folklorico groups. 

The team also included these groups into the Kermes, which is a community festival, when they introduced both the identity and the logo that went with it. 

The seven Matachines games that focused on the Copa program  were designed to feel like a Kermés, with Matachines performances, themed food and beverage offerings, specialty merchandise, giveaways and partner activations. The goal was to  create a consistent environment where fans could experience different pieces of the Matachines culture each time they came to the ballpark. 

More similar events are expected to be featured next year as the Chihuahuas contine to expand on this successful idea.