What is Minor League Baseball and Who Are the Best Prospects?

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What is Minor League Baseball?

Where do most professional baseball players hone their skills? In the five different levels of Minor League Baseball, where 206 different teams linked with the 30 MLB clubs play in the Triple-A, Double-A, Class High-A, Single-A, and Rookie leagues.

Most of these clubs are not actually owned by MLB clubs, but do have affiliation contracts and these teams essentially all serve as feeders to their bigger clubs. A few teams in the Minor Leagues are owned by MLB clubs, but this is extremely rare.

In 1990, Class-A was divided into separate levels—Class A Advanced, Class A Full-Season, and Class A Short-Season).

The longest affiliation between a MLB and Minor League team was the 53-year marriage between the Baltimore Oriolesand the Bluefield Orioles, their Rookie-level Appalachian League affiliate. The two were connected from 1958 to 2010.

And the longest current affiliation between a Minor League and MLB team (45 years) is the Double-A Eastern League’s Reading Fightin Phils and their association with the Philadelphia Phillies. 2024 Phillies stars Aaron Nola, Bryson Stott, and Alec Bohm, all cut their hardball teeth playing for Reading, which has been owned by Chris Stein since 1986.

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Triple-A Baseball

The highest level of Minor League baseball is called Triple-A (AAA) and is the level immediately below MLB. Most of baseball’s most talented prospects play at this level and a season in this league is 150 games.

This classification in the Minor Leagues is made up of two popular affiliated leagues, the International League (20 teams) and the Pacific Coast League (10 teams). Teams at this level often hold up to as many as 15 players from the parent MLB club’s 40-man roster.

Any players in Triple-A who the parent MLB club may need late in their seasons can be called up after September 1. But if these AAA teams are in a Playoff race and the Minor League team needs them more than the Major League Baseball club does, they may wait until later on to call them up.

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Double-A Baseball

The second-highest level of Minor League baseball is Double-A (AA) and it is two levels below MLB. There are 138 games in a Double-A season and there are three leagues in this somewhat middle classification between Triple-A and Single-A. Teams here carry a 28-man roster.

The three leagues are the Eastern League (12 teams), the Southern League (8 teams), and the Texas League (10 teams).

Teams like the Akron RubberDucks (Eastern League, Cleveland Guardians), Portland Sea Dogs, (Eastern League, Boston Red Sox), Hartford Yard Goats (Eastern League, Colorado Rockies), Birmingham Barons (Southern League, Chicago White Sox), Rocket City Trash Pandas (Southern League, Los Angeles Angels), Wichita Wind Surge(Texas League, Minnesota Twins), Midland RockHounds (Texas League, Oakland Athletics) and Amarillo Sod Poodles (Texas League, Arizona Diamondbacks) all play at the Double-A level.

Tony La Russa, Reggie Jackson, Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan, Robin Ventura, and Frank Thomas all played for the Birmingham Barons, so this team really has some great history.

The Southern League and Texas League both divide their seasons into two halves. Teams can clinch a Playoff berth by winning its division in the first half with another team able to win that division and secure a Postseason spot by winning the second half. Four teams make the AA Playoffs and Wild Card spots fill out the remaining teams needed.

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Class High-A Baseball (A+)

The third-highest level of Minor League baseball is Class High-A, or A+ and this class used to be known as Class-A Advanced. There is one affiliated team for each of the 30 parent MLB clubs in this level, divided into three separate leagues. Teams here have 30-man rosters.

Those three leagues in Class High-A are the Midwest League (12 teams), the Northwest League (6 teams), and the South Atlantic League (14 teams). The South Atlantic League is often referred to as the “Sally League.”

Some teams who play at this level include the Everett AquaSox (Northwest League, Seattle Mariners), Vancouver Canadians (Northwest League, Toronto Blue Jays), South Bend Cubs (Midwest League, Chicago Cubs), Lansing Lugnuts (Midwest League, Oakland Athletics), Peoria Chiefs (Midwest League, St. Louis Cardinals), Jersey Shore BlueClaws (South Atlantic League, Philadelphia Phillies) Winston-Salem Dash (South Atlantic League, Chicago White Sox), and Brooklyn Cyclones (South Atlantic League, New York Mets).

Like in Double-A, there are four Class High-A teams that make the Playoffs with Wild Card spots also filling out the remaining berths.

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Single-A Baseball

The fourth-highest level of Minor League baseball is called Single-A, also sometimes called Low-A. There are also 30 teams at this level—one for each MLB club—and just like Class High-A, they play their hardball in three leagues. Teams here also carry 30-man rosters.

The three different leagues in Single-A are the California League (8 teams), the Carolina League (12 teams), and the Florida State League (10 teams).

Minor league teams who play at this level include the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (California League, Los Angeles Dodgers), Modesto Nuts (California League, Seattle Mariners), Carolina Mudcats (Carolina League, Milwaukee Brewers), Fredericksburg Nationals (Carolina League, Washington Nationals), Jupiter Hammerheads (Florida State League, Miami Marlins), and Lakeland Flying Tigers (Florida State League, Detroit Tigers).

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Rookie

The 30 teams in MLB can also field one or two Rookie teams in the Arizona Complex League (17 teams) or the Florida Complex League (15 teams). These leagues have shortened seasons.

MLB also plays its Spring Training baseball in the Sunshine and Grand Canyon states due to their warmer weather in the months of February and March.

Some teams in the Florida Complex League’s three divisions are the Mets, Astros, Blue Jays, and Braves. Clubs in the Arizona Complex League include the A’s, Cubs, Dodgers, Angels, Diamondbacks, Giants, Royals and Rangers. No MLB team has more than one ACL club.

The Appalachian League, Pioneer League, Arizona League, Gulf Coast League, Dominican Summer League and Venezuelan Summer League all also play in this class which also has shorter seasons.

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Who Are the Best Minor League Baseball Prospects?

Jackson Holliday, 2B, Baltimore Orioles

The son of former MLB star Matt Holliday, Jackson Holliday ranks as the top prospect in MLB. The 6-0, 185-pound infielder was called up earlier this 2023 MLB Regular Season by the Orioles, but the 20-year-old Holliday was sent back down to the Minor Leagues and AAA Norfolk.

Baltimore called up the No. 1 pick in the 2022 MLB Draft to the Majors on April 10, but the left-handed hitting 2B prospect only had two hits—both singles—in his 36 Plate Appearances with a dismal .058 batting average and 18 strikeouts, or 50% of his Plate Appearances. The Orioles minor league system is loaded and Holliday is still the top dog.

Junior Caminero, 3B/SS, Tampa Bay Rays

The No. 3 ranked prospect is 21-year-old Junior Caminero, an infielder destined to be a big part of the Tampa Bay Rays right side of the infield. At 6-1, 157 pounds, Caminero may need to put on a little weight, but for now at the AAA Durham Bulls, he is hitting .259 with nine Home Runs and 25 RBI in 39 games.

The right-handed hitting Carneiro has already played in the Big Leagues, batting .235 with one Home run and seven RBI in 34 at Bats for Tampa Bay.

James Wood, OF, Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals have a couple of decent OF’s in their Minor League pipeline, including James Wood, a 6-2, 234-pound left-handed hitter who took part in the 2024 MLB Futures Game and a guy who has already been called up to MLB this year.

So far with the Nats, Wood is hitting .211 with two Home Runs and 12 RBI, so this kid may need a little time adjusting to the highest level of baseball. Wood has also struck out 29 times in 76 at Bats so we will see if he is as good as advertised in coming seasons.

Dylan Crews, OF, Washington Nationals

Another young (22 years old) Washington Nationals OF prospect is Dylan Crews, a 5-11, 203-pound right-handed hitter who also showcased his skills in the 2024 MLB Futures Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

For the AAA Rochester Red Wings, Crews is hitting .257 with four Home Runs and 14 RBI, so with him, Wood, Jessie Winter, Lane Thomas, and Jacob Young, this team may be able to trade one of its young OFs in the future for a player needed at another position.

Ethan Salas. C, San Diego Padres

Good young catchers are hard to find, but the San Diego Padres have a great prospect in Ethan Salas, another dude who played in the 2024 MLB Futures Game earlier in July. At 6-1, 185 pounds, this young 18-year-old left-handed hitting backstop still has some maturing to do and is currently playing for the Padres A+ affiliate, the Fort Wayne TinCaps in the Midwestern League

Salas is batting just .196 with one Home Run and 29 RBI for Fort Wayne, so he still has a lot of work to do to climb up the ranks to MLB, but at age18, he has plenty of time.

Jordan Lawlar, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks

Ranked as the No. 8 prospect on MLB.com, Jordan Lawlar (6-1, 190) will be a welcome addition to the Arizona Diamondbacks middle infield when this 22-year-old right-handed hitter makes it to MLB for good. Currently at AAA Reno Aces, Lawler is hitting .400 in 20 At Bats with one Home Run and one RBI from that dinger.

Lawlar has played for the Snakes already, going 4-for-39 (.129) with no Home Runs or RBI, so like a lot of these highly thought of prospects, this kid also needs some time to grow his game as well as his confidence.

Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have done a good job hanging in the AL East race this Summer, and with young guys like OF Roman Anthony (6-2, 200) in the pipeline, the future may be bright for Beantown baseball fans.

Now with the AA Portland Sea Dogs, the Red Sox Minor-League Hitter of the Year in 2023, Anthony has a .249 Batting Average with 11 Home Runs and 34 RBI after hitting .272 with 14 Home Runs and 64 RBI for the same team affiliate club last season.

Marcelo Mayer, SS, Boston Red Sox

Like the Orioles, Nationals and Rays, the Red Sox have two of the Top 15 prospects in MLB, with Anthony and SS Marcelo Mayer (6-2, 188). This 21-year-old left-handed hitting infielder is also currently cutting his teeth with the AA Portland Sea Dogs, where he is hitting .306 with eight Home Runs, 38 RBI and a handsome .481 slugging Percentage.

With Anthony, Mayer, 2024 MLB All-Star Game MVP Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers, Masataka Yoshida, Rob Refsnyder and Connor Wong, the Carmines have a nice nucleus to build around for the future. Now if they only wouldn’t have traded that Babe Ruth guy...

Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins

The No. 5 ranked MLB prospect in the Top 100 is Walker Jenkins, 19-year-old right-handed hitting OF who was taken by the Twinkies with the No. 5 pick in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Jenkins made his pro debut with the FCL Twins and was then promoted to the Single-A Fort Myers Mighty Musselswhere he batted an impressive .362 with three Home Runs and 22 RBI last season.

Carson Williams, SS, Tampa Bay Rays

The No. 9 ranked prospect in MLB is another Rays infielder, Carson Williams (6-2, 180), a right-handed hitter currently at AA Montgomery Biscuits in the Southern League, is batting .264 with 14 Home Runs and 39 RBI.

With Caminero also able to play SS like Williams, Tampa Bay really has a glut at the position with Jose Caballero (27), Niko Goodrum, Arned Rosario, Taylor Walls, and Wander Franco currently on the SS Depth Chart. But it seems prospect Williams would be the best SS for the struggling Rays in the future.

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Where to Get Minor League Baseball Tickets

The easiest place to get your Minor League (MiLB) baseball tickets is through the handy MiLB App or through the individual teams’ websites. Remember to shop around for the best prices and look for discounts for tickets for Seniors, Military Personnel and Children.

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