MiLB Delayed Below AAA for 2021
If you need a break from yesterday’s stark reminder that, yes, it can happen here… well, maybe not.
Baseball America passes along news that MLB has decreed—as expected—that Spring Training will be staggered: MLB and AAA players first, then everybody else.
The upshot is that most of the minor leagues will be delayed in 2021.
This, of course, presuming that MLB and AAA start on time in about six weeks. With a late March/early April start, that would have the minors beginning in May.
While the season may be pushed into September/October, it will reportedly be at the expense of playoffs. To reduce travel, it would appear that the schedule will be six days on, one day off. Essentially, homestands (if/when fans are allowed to attend) will be every other week.
As BA noted, players and operators will both actually like this arrangement. The former because even a day with travel, which you can probably bank on being optimized for as short a trip as possible between stops, they’re not playing at least once a week vs. once or twice a month. The latter will like it because homestands will be limited to six days at a time and every homestand will have weekend games.
Like many of the COVID-19 protocols, I think there should be concern that some of these “temporary” things will become permanent. Fans may not be as keen on seeing the same opposing team that long; It was bad enough when Hagerstown would play Delmarva and Lakewood 27-30 times a year. While it matters not to me, autograph seekers will probably be cut off and like the media at the MLB level, organizations may decide they like having that remove from the fans.
TL;DR – It’s another year of uncertainty and anxiety. 2020 rages on…
This week Harrisburg front office said they didn’t have a 2021 schedule and didn’t know when they would. Now I know why. Thanks.
If everything starts May 1 that would be a best-case scenario. One thing is for sure, you don’t want to be in Rochester in April.
I’m going to Rochester at least twice this year, along with Harrisburg that makes for a terrific twofor trip.
Too bad our High A is not in Frederick.
No matter when it starts. playing MiLB games is better than not playing.
Cheaper option in RF Josh Reddick
Guess what I found! I literally found this website, never knew it before, and they have an updated Top 50 prospects list, along with some writeups. For January this is as good as it gets.
https://www.prospects1500.com/nl-east/nationals/washington-nationals-2021-top-50-prospects/
Well here is to moveable parts .
Kyle , Bell , Tomas , Ryan11 ,
And maybe even a surprise cameo from Wiseman or Banks in the mix within the campaign ???
Suddenly Stevenson is a vital piece in the mix .
Robles will be fine
Is Canning considered a grinder type outfielder as everybody is wondering what type of player could fit in Eaton mold ??
Keep your eye on Rhinesmith this year!
Hey hey, we’re #1!
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2926532-updated-farm-system-rankings-for-every-mlb-team-at-the-start-of-2021
OK, we’re last on the list, but the first team mentioned. Not surprising at all.
You have to laugh when someone puts Denaburg at #2. As I said earlier, hey, it’s January and this is as good as it gets.
Jon Heyman just announced the Nats are about to sign Armando Cruz, a Dominican prospect, for $4 million. He is so highly rated that he will debut in the Nats Top 20 out of the chute.
Cruz has been known to be “committed” to the Nats for what seems like a year and a half. International signing seems even squirrellier than NCAA recruiting.
Cruz supposedly is a defensive wizard with the build to grow into a solid hitter, or something to that effect.
Cool
Higher ceiling no doubt compared to the SS prospect drafted out of Miami FL prep last June ??
According to the prospect gurus, yes, Cruz will be rated much higher. The Nats think that Infante has intriguing potential to develop above-average pop, but according to most draft boards, he was a reach. An issue I noted immediately with Infante was his age. He was turning 19 at the time of the draft and will be 20 this June. He probably won’t play above whatever the GCL league is at age 20, which sort of negates the supposed benefit of drafting and paying a premium to a high schooler.
COVID isn’t his fault, of course, and he’s still much younger than so many older ones who COVID has really put behind the eight-ball age-wise. By the same token, I wonder how many, particularly pitchers who have pitched through lingering arm issues, might be helped by a year of rest from game action. Both pitchers and hitters might have an opportunity to reconnect with coaches back home, the ones who knew them when they were “great.” If you haven’t heard, the coach who finally straightened out Giolito was his high school coach, not anyone in the White Sox organization.