2021 General Minor League Discussion

andyb 2021-03-02 23:23:37 UTC #41

AAA delayed at least a month. It was somewhat surprising that they wanted AAA to play in early April and everyone else starting in May. I know it worked out for the players in training camp to have somewhere to go immediately, but it was also MLB thinking about themselves rather than trying to play these seasons in reality.

This makes it tricky to expect someone like Spencer Howard to be ready in May if there were a plan to limit his innings. It would really help to have him make a few minor league starts in April for that to work.

LoneStarPhan 2021-03-03 00:13:54 UTC #42

The President said today that every adult American will have a chance to receive covid vaccination by the end of May. Of course, a significant number seem to be planning to refuse vaccination. It seems very possible that all players and other personnel associated with minor league teams can be vaccinated by the beginning of May. I expect that by the end of April, there will be excesses of vaccine and the government will be running campaigns to get the reluctant people to come in and get their shot(s). The first J&J vaccine arrived in our county today at the Rangers' new home, Globe Life Field.

Getting players (MLB and minor leagues) vaccinated by May would go a long way toward returning baseball to normal this season.

LoneStarPhan 2021-03-03 00:49:39 UTC #43

I see there is some question on options and how the 2020 season will be counted. Seems like something that needs to get clarified quickly.

flyers19rw 2021-03-03 01:06:36 UTC #44

It might be a good way to boost vaccination rates if the green light to being admitted into a stadium, arena or rink was to be able to show that you had the two Moderna/Pfizer shots or the J&J one. If fans are clean of the germ, allowing them into the venues is not much of a problem.

zambonir 2021-03-03 01:33:08 UTC #45

It sounds like the plan is to run alternate training sites in April, and possibly longer for teams where there's some distance between the MLB team and the AAA affililate. You've already got an entire AAA/AAAA team in Clearwater now, so they will just break camp when the big-leaguers do and head to Allentown. So-called "minor league spring training" will only be for the guys who have yet to report (and all the lower level players).

So if Howard doesn't crack the rotation he - or Anderson, as well as guys like Nova and Mitchell, and prospects like Medina/Rosso - will just get on turn in simulated intrasquad games, just like last season. In Howard's case it's a waste of innings but that would also potentially be true in real AAA games.

andyb 2021-03-03 21:47:54 UTC #46

A little more info on the minors. Season will be 120 games instead of 142. The real reason for the delay has little to do with crowds. Until everyone has the vaccine, MLB did not want to potentially call up players from their AAA teams who would be practicing in a less controlled environment. If a player is called up from the alternate site they theoretically have been in a bubble somewhat similar to the major league team and there is no reason for any delay.

All this makes sense. It does look like the vaccine should be pretty widely distributed by May, so cross our fingers for a somewhat normal minor league year starting then.

schillingfan 2021-03-03 21:54:23 UTC #47

I think this is a good idea, too. Given the news that Merck is joining J & J, it doesn’t look like baseball will have a Covid issue with the ramped up vaccinations. I can’t wait to go to a Phillies game this summer.

zambonir 2021-03-03 22:44:06 UTC #48

Seems like the x-factor is travel. A minor league team isn't going to ride on two buses for distancing, or have a hotel-provided distanced dining area, or even be able to afford to have all their food delivered.

There's really no reason they couldn't let some fans in to watch the alternate site games in the meantime though. Would have zero effect on players or player-adjacent staff.

andyb 2021-03-11 22:25:46 UTC #49

We'll put this here though it eventually applies to the majors. The minors this year are experimenting with rule changes.

-In AA all 4 infielders will have to start the play with their feet on the infield dirt or grass, not the outfield grass. This is a partial anti-shift rule.
- AAA will use larger bases (18 vs 15 inch). It is not the extended first base that some wanted but should diminish collisions. May add a SB or 2 because the bases are technically 4+ inches closer together.
- High A ball will have a step off to pickoff rule. Eliminates the left-handed leg raise move. SBs increased 70% as a result.
- Low A ball pickoff limit. 2 "free" but the 3rd move needs to result in an out or it is a balk.
- Low A Southeast (where Clearwater will be) gets robo home plate umps
- Low A West gets stricter pitch clocks (15 seconds)
- Atlantic League will get more changes TBD

Not sure I love different levels with different rules. Might get confusing for promoted players. These rules do seem to bring the SB back to some degree and that is probably good. I never was a fan of anti shift rules. I just think the way to combat that is to teach an all field hitting approach AND to deaden the ball. Lessen the incentive to hit HRs and hitters will adapt or die.

andyb 2021-03-15 18:42:06 UTC #50

Some thoughts from Fangraphs on the new rules. Interesting that there is data showing shifts really don't work that well since walks go up. I guess it is natural to pitch to a narrower part of the strike zone if all your fielders are shifted. I think I would just leave the shifting alone and let hitters adjust.

andyb 2021-03-24 20:40:27 UTC #51

Minor league Spring Training starts next week. The alternate site group will go to LHV, but everyone else goes to Clearwater next week. Looks like most teams have a 3/31 or 4/1 reporting date for Pitchers and Catchers and everyone else a day or two later.

andyb 2021-03-29 16:38:02 UTC #52

Much more on Appel here. Apparently he had a cleanup surgery in October of 2018 when he started to think of coming back. Shoulder seems pretty healthy now because he has not had the wear and tear, though at the moment he is sitting 92 and touching 94.

He might have tried a comeback last year if it were not for COVID. I am not really expecting anything, but stranger things have happened to talented pitchers.

zambonir 2021-03-29 17:48:21 UTC #53

Stranger things have certainly happened, and it would all be gravy. He wouldn't be the first prospect bust to turn into a reliever, if that's the path. The ceiling, I guess, would be Ryan Vogelsong, who was out of the majors - if not baseball - between the ages of 28 and 33 (some of that with the Phillies).

andyb 2021-03-29 18:08:17 UTC #54

Scott Kazmir keeps taking 2-3 year injury pauses and then comes back. Though it looks like he did not make the Giants this Spring and will go to AAA.

I think right before Appel quit the Phillies were just trying to make him a high velocity 1-inning pitcher. Maybe that is not the role for him if he can find more movement in the 92-94 velocity range. Who knows? Baseball is just such a difficult sport and health is a huge variable.

Philsmania 2021-03-29 18:37:56 UTC #55

Just taking Vogelsong's ML numbers, he has an interesting career record on a couple of levels. First, he only pitched for two ML teams in 12 seasons over 17 years, the Pirates and the Giants, and had two tours of duty with each team. Second, he started out in the Majors as a reliever but later reinvented himself as a starter. Usually, the reinvention goes the other way.

andyb 2021-04-01 18:30:50 UTC #56

Here are the 30 players (plus Muzziotti who is on a restricted list) at the alternate site. Does not look like they signed anyone new yet. Non roster Spring players back include Mitchell, Feliz, Paulino, and Jankowski. Looks like they brought Daniel Brito up also. Wonder if he has a shot at playing in AAA this year. Might depend on whether they bring Chatham back.

zambonir 2021-04-01 18:35:18 UTC #57

That's nice that they are doing that, IIRC there was never an official roster last year. I wonder if any of the games (intrasquad or otherwise) will air on Service Electric again?

gmwannabe 2021-04-04 16:43:10 UTC #58

Looking back on some old posts, really excited to see how the UDFA's (pitchers) from last year do this year. i hope we have some eyes to give reports on this. From articles, it looks like they have picked up some possible good arms.
gm

andyb 2021-04-04 20:10:16 UTC #59

I threw his name in a post last week, but Jake Mckenna is the HS pitcher from South Jersey that is a 6'7" LHP. Supposedly he has gone from low 90s to mid 90s in the last year. Think of him as our 11th round overslot pick from 2020 that we did not have.

gmwannabe 2021-04-04 20:42:06 UTC #60

I saw that and that is what prompted me to look at the old posts for the UDFA'S. He sounds like a pretty good signing. Also, looking for the progress of D J Jefferson and Castenada sp? this year.
gm