This subject has been broached a lot lately, so with the help of Brian Oliver, here’s a chart of ideal ages for each level.
16-19 — DSL (Yes, occasionally some 19-20-y.o.’s will make it north of FL, but that’s usually pitchers)
19-21 — FCL (HSers and international guys with a 1-3 years of experience)
20-22 — NYPL (JuCo/college draft picks and guys who have spent a year at GCL)
20-22 — Low-A
22-24 — High-A
24-26 — Double-A
26-28 — Triple-A
In 2012, Baseball America did a story about the median ages of the full-season leagues, which supports these rules of thumb.
Most of the elite draft picks have been starting at Hagerstown Fredericksbug under the Rizzo front office (2009-present), which is also a byproduct of the majority of them being college juniors or seniors.
Updated 2024 to account for MLB Takeover of MiLB, which eliminated the Rookie Advanced and Short-Season A Leagues
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