Yes, the baseball series about the issues in the MLB continues. I have been reading a lot of comments on the previous two articles about the rule changes, and it seems like people want to dive deeper into the issues. One of the biggest that I have not yet touched on is the lack of exciting young talent getting their chance in the big leagues.

For some reason, baseball has decided that early-round draft picks are not yet “worthy” to step onto the field with the big boys. But there has never been a truly compelling reason to keep young talent down. On average, it takes a first rounder 4-6 years to make their MLB debut. That is insanity. We talk about generating excitement in the game, wanting games to be more thrilling, and the need to grow the game, but the minor league system in baseball stifles excitement and keeps fans from seeing the top prospects for years.

One of the issues is the sheer size of the MLB minor league system. In 2021, MLB decided to restructure the minor leagues. They “trimmed” some teams in the lower levels and wanted to “streamline” the system. My hometown team, the Auburn Doubledays, was cut from the minor league system. Shameless plug, but that team was a huge part of my childhood and I’m a tad sour about this, even though I think more hard decisions need to be made.

According to MLB.com in 2021:

Major League Baseball announced a new plan for affiliated baseball, with 120 Minor League clubs officially agreeing to join the new Professional Development League (PDL).

In total, the integrated player development system now includes 179 teams across 17 leagues in 43 states and four provinces. Including the AZL and GCL, there are 209 teams across 19 leagues in 44 states and four provinces. That includes the 150 teams in the PDL and AZL/GCL along with the four partner leagues: the American Association, Atlantic League, Frontier League and Pioneer League.

New Minor League baseball structure (mlb.com)

In nearly every other major sport, there is one major feeder league where players can move from the big club and sometimes back to the minors. NHL has the AHL, NBA has the G-League, the NFL has the NCAA and now the XFL (I only count NCAA because of the requirements for players to have 3 years after high school before they are eligible). The NFL also has the practice squad system. Baseball has Triple A, which is the equivalent of these leagues, sure. But many top prospects don’t go straight to Triple A, they languish in Low A, High A, and Double A, with the hope that they move up and get to the big leagues in 6 years. At year seven, most first round picks are unlikely to play in the MLB at all.

The MLB Draft is 20 rounds, plus compensatory picks. It was 40 rounds until 2020. It is by far the biggest and most expansive draft of any major sport. Likely because the MLB wants to load the minors with players, without regard for how little they are paid and how unlikely it is that any of these players will make it to The Show. Rather than load the leagues with low-level talent, make the minor leagues more impactful and make fans want to follow the feeder teams. NHL and NBA fans pay attention to the AHL and G-League, since players often make the jump from there. Few MLB fans have the time to follow prospects on dozens of teams at varying levels.

More than half of the NHL was between 22 and 27 years old in 2020. The average age of MLB players was 28.2 years old in 2021. In the NFL, the average age is 26. In the NBA, the average age is also 26. The non-contact nature of baseball may explain some of the age discrepancy, no doubt. But, the other issue is that there are thousands of players in the minors and only so many spots for them to fill.

Another criticism I have received is that I don’t offer enough solutions to the problems I bring up. So, here’s me taking a stab at some very unlikely solutions.

Eliminate the summer leagues, Low A, High A, the AZL, GCL, and the four partner leagues. Trim the minor leagues to 60 total teams. Double A and Triple A can stay, for now. I would argue that this will put the MLB on par with the NHL having the AHL and ECHL (or other high level league). With the growth of international leagues, there is no need for this many teams. Nothing stops many of these teams from forming smaller leagues that are simply not affiliated with MLB or MiLB.

Make the draft significantly shorter to go along with the reduced size of the league. This will mean that draft picks matter more. The fans will pay attention to top picks and know that they are close to making a big league club, since there is less red tape. This generates excitement for the future of teams. Now, this doesn’t mean that the MLB clubs won’t just keep players down anyway, but it streamlines the process for identifying big league talent.

The final idea is that the MLB needs a culture shift when it comes to young talent. I don’t think that 28 years old is the peak of most players’ athletic performance. I want to see the stars when they are 22-24. I want to see new, young players entering the league more frequently. I don’t want to see the Top 100 Prospects list every year wondering how many of them might get a chance to play in The Show.

Since I have covered rule changes, banana ball, and now the minors, the plan is to close the series before the season with a look into the issues surrounding television viewership in the MLB.

A common response to this series has been that blackout and an inability to actually watch some teams is why ratings are horrible. I don’t disagree, but I need to research how MLB television deals are structured (since I haven’t the slightest clue). Stay tuned!

-Drew Pappert
@ForestCitySport

*Photo courtesy of ESPN*