Happy New Year, fellow collectors! Just as 2020 saw the whole world change, 2021 ushers in major changes for the minor leagues, both affiliated and independent.
By now you know that the Basic Agreement between MiLB and MLB was allowed to expire back in September and MLB has taken over the affiliated minor leagues. In addition, a new working relationship has been established with several independent leagues.
In summary, 42 teams have been disinvited from MiLB, reducing the number of directly-affiliated teams to 120. For an updated listing of which teams are going where, check out our friends at Ballparkdigest.com. On the league level, here’s how the landscape has been reconfigured for 2021:
Triple-A and Double-A remain unchanged as far as league structure, although the team makeups will change slightly.
The real shakeup occurred with the A classifications (A, Advanced-A, Short Season-A, and Rookie-A) being consolidated into just two, High A and Low A.
HIGH A
Carolina League
Mid-Atlantic League (new)
Midwest League
Northwest League
LOW A
California League
Florida State League
South Atlantic League
The Appalachian League is no longer affiliated with MLB and will transition to a Collegiate Summer League. The New York-Penn League, formerly the oldest continuously-operated Class A league in professional baseball, will cease operations.
Next on the list of changes is the designation of several independent leagues as “MLB Partner Leagues”. The Atlantic League was already working with MLB by testing proposed rules changes, such as robo-umpires. Now that relationship has become formalized and it will be joined by three other indies, the American Association, the Frontier League, and the Pioneer League, to, as the MLB press release put it, “collaborate with MLB on initiatives to provide organized baseball to communities throughout the United States and Canada.”
Finally, MLB is creating a new Collegiate Summer League called the MLB Draft League, with a specific focus on top prospects eligible to be drafted.
In the next couple of weeks this site will be revamped to reflect the new minor league environment. Let me know what you think and happy collecting!