The value of minor league baseball is priceless to countless fans and the MLB’s recent moves to cut it down undermine people’s love for the game

The dream of playing Major League Baseball is one that many little league kids aspire to. To get there, they must first travel the road of Minor League Baseball. While often overlooked, Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is an impeccable part of not only professional baseball, but also the recreation of many people in cities across the country. 

All around the United States, small cities and communities are home to Minor League teams. 120 teams are a part of the Minor League system where players travel on their paths to the big leagues. However, the Minor League system has recently been under attack.

This year will begin a new era of MiLB in perhaps the biggest restructuring of the MiLB since 1963. These changes, in my view, are hurtful and can lead to damaging the game of baseball.

The first change was the reduction of 25 percent of the minor league teams, cutting down from 160 teams to 120. As a casualty, two classifications from MiLB were eliminated: short-season A and advanced rookie ball. 

In all, 42 teams lost their designation of being affiliated with MLB. Some teams were able to find new homes with the creation of the MLB Draft League and the Appalachian Collegiate Summer League. In addition to this, some teams were added to the Pioneer Independent League.  

While these leagues will operate as partner leagues according to MLB, there will be no affiliation with major league teams, and they will operate independently. MLB teams will have the ability to acquire players from these leagues and have them join a MiLB team. 

When the MiLB restructuring plan was first announced back in 2019, there was a large amount of backlash from around the baseball community, with the move being viewed as an opportunity to cut costs and save MLB money, who at the time paid the entirety of minor league salaries.  

In November 2019, more than 100 members of the U.S. Congress sent a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred opposing the changes.   

The letter stated that the changes to the minor league system would “devastate our communities, their bond purchasers and other stakeholders affected by the potential loss of these clubs.”

MLB stated that the changes would be beneficial because they would improve player travel, working conditions and minor league player compensation. 

The minor league restructuring comes at a time when baseball is facing a problem, even ahead of the pandemic, yet the problem wasn’t financial. In 2019, MLB had a gross revenue of $10.7 billion, a record high and the 17th straight season of increased revenue. 

The problem is the baseball fan. The average age of a baseball fan is estimated to be 57 years old, the oldest among the five largest North American sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL and MLS). Basketball has recently passed baseball as America’s second favorite sport. 

The game is coming across as slow, boring or dull by younger fans. In response, the MLB has tried to appease younger fans by attempting to speed the game up with rule changes to make the game more fun.

The restructuring of the MiLB is a missed opportunity and could damage the league's reputation and ability to acquire new fans. 

For many fans across the country, a minor league team is closer in proximity to them than a major league team. A great way to grow the game among young fans would have been to invest in the minor leagues, not gut them. 

Minor league baseball is cheaper and more accessible than major league baseball to families and young fans. Young fans can roam around the stadiums in smaller towns, experiencing what professional baseball is all about and fall in love with the game as I did.