On Monday, Major League Baseball continued to reshape the minor league system by creating the MLB Draft League. The league will feature five teams with a sixth on the way, including the Trenton Thunder, Williamsport Crosscutters, West Virginia Black Bears, State College Spikes, and Mahoning Valley Scrappers. The Crosscutters, Black Bears, Spikes, and Scrappers were part of the New York-Penn League while the Thunder were in the Double-A Eastern League.
The new league will consist of eligible players for the MLB Draft that are looking to improve their stock. The league will play a 68-game schedule that starts in late May and ends in August. The 2021 MLB Draft will take place from July 11th through the 13th. MLB will also work with the Prep Baseball Report, a nationwide scouting service, to staff, operate, recruit and provide other functions for the new league.
Morgan Sword, Executive Vice President of Baseball Economics, released a statement on working with the Prep Baseball Report said, “We are thrilled to partner with Prep Baseball Report and the founding members of the MLB Draft League to create a one-of-a-kind league that will attract the nation’s top players who are eligible for each year’s MLB Draft and allow local fans to see top prospects and future big-league stars in their hometowns. This announcement continues MLB’s commitment to preserving and growing baseball in communities around the United States.”
Major League Baseball will make more announcements at a later date as they continue to reshape Minor League Baseball.
