I know that a lot of the folks who follow this site are very interested in Minor League Baseball. JJ Cooper just posted an minor league update article on Baseball America and while I can’t share the full article itself with you since it’s a subscription site I thought at the least I’d highlight his reporting for those who don’t have a subscription. Baseball America is a great site by the way so I do recommend a subscription.
Mr. Cooper reports that 120 teams will be notified around the first week of December regarding their selection as part of the full season affiliation for 2021 and beyond. Soon thereafter MLB will issue each club Professional Development Licenses. The teams will then need to determine whether they will sign them. If clubs choose not to sign then presumably a team left out of the original proposal would be approached to fill the slot.
The plan has been completed ... there will be 120 full season affiliates plus rookie level clubs at the Arizona, Florida and Dominican complexes.
There will also be partner leagues ... the American Association, Atlantic, Frontier and the Pioneer leagues will continue as pro leagues but as partners of MLB. The Mexican League my also become a partner league.
The partner leagues are expected to be populated by players “not yet ready for affiliated baseball” as well as second chances for those players released from affiliated teams.
In addition there will be amateur wood bat “Draft Scouting Leagues”. The Appalachian and New York Penn League teams not chosen for affiliations will form these types of leagues and the Prospect Developmental Pipeline League ( a league for 80 top rising high school seniors ) will continue ... it was formed in 2019.
There will be two AAA full season level leagues ... one in the Eastern US and one in the Western US. There will be three AA full season leagues ... one in Central US, one in the South and another in the Northeast.
Three Advanced A full season leagues will exist ... one in the Mid Atlantic, one in the Midwest and one in the Northwest. “ Many of the teams that comprise the current Midwest League are expected to move to Advanced A as are teams from the current Northwest League.” The Mid-Atlantic League is expected to be filled by teams currently in the Carolinas and South Atlantic Leagues as well as Brooklyn and Hudson Valley ( currently New York Penn League teams.)
There will also be current independent league teams that will become affiliated clubs including Somerset, NJ and Sugar Land, TX.
Low Class A will have three leagues ... one in California taken largely from the current California League, one in Florida - filled with teams from the current Florida State League and one in the Southeast filled with teams from the current South Atlantic League and Carolinas League.
In addition the number of games scheduled will be altered ... the AAA level will play 144 games, AA will play 138 games and A level teams will play 132 games.
More to come ...
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️
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