Quote:
Originally Posted by ALB123
The article OP posted has a link to another article on the same topic, but that article mentions the creation of new collegiate leagues and draft leagues. If anyone has any good information on those new leagues, would you mind sharing the link in this thread? I googled a bit, but I really didn't find out anything except there will be a new wood bat league. I have no clue what the heck a draft league is...and I am very interested in learning more.
Thanks...
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Basically the MLB Draft League is going to feature the top prospects in that are eligible for that year's draft (which is being held All-Star Weekend and is now only 20 rounds). The founding members of the MLB Draft League will be the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, the State College Spikes, the Trenton Thunder, the West Virginia Black Bears, the Frederick Keys and the Williamsport Crosscutters. They will play a 68 game season with an All-Star break. I have not heard anything about when the season will start/end, maybe they haven't announced it yet, but I wonder if guys who are drafted in July will stay there until that season ends and then be assigned to one of the complex teams (AZL/GCL) or if advanced enough will head to one of the Single-A teams. I am also curious if it will include High School players, which to me it should if they want the "top prospects".
Here is the article from MLB.com
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-draft-l...-begin-in-2021
As for a new wood bat league, it seems some former minor league teams could be joining existing ones but the newest league that they announced was the old Appalachian League is shifting from Rookie ball to Wood Bat and will be unaffiliated. I have to wonder how many of these leagues can survive, there are so many teams but eventually they will run out of players, at least the top tier ones.....I wonder if this could this be the beginning of the end of colleges having baseball teams, at least the smaller ones or the ones in the northern states. And do the players who do not get drafted end up playing in these wood bat leagues to showcase their skills with the hope to be invited to the MLB Draft League the next season. I think it will take a few years for the dust to settle and if it goes well, we could see another draft league or expansion to it. Should be interesting.