Minor leagues switch to 6-game series, common off day

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball’s minor leagues will shift to regionalized six-game series with a common off day in an effort that cuts scheduled travel mileage by 28-56% and reduces expenses in their first season of operations under Major League Baseball.

MLB reduced affiliated farm teams to 120 from 160 in the first season after the end of the Professional Baseball Agreement between Major League Baseball and the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, which governed the minors. The PBA had existed since 1901 but was allowed to expire at the end of 2020 as MLB took over running the minors.

Triple-A teams are scheduled for 142 games each starting April 6 in the Triple-A East League and April 8 in Triple-A West, as the new leagues are called for now. However, opening day is likely to be pushed back to May 4 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. That would match opening day at Double-A and Class A, where teams are scheduled for 120 games apiece.

Prospects from Triple-A are likely to spend April at alternate training camps, used for minor leaguers to stay in shape when the entire 2020 minor league season was wiped out because of the pandemic. Double-A and below would remain at extended spring training.

Each league will be off every Monday, except for Triple-A West, which will be off each Wednesday. The different off day was requested by owners in that league because purchasing plane tickets was cheaper for those teams for Wednesday travel than for Sunday night or Monday.

Teams in the six-team Northeast Division of the Triple-A East league — Buffalo, Lehigh Valley, Rochester, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Syracuse and Worcester — will play entirely within their division, for an additional travel savings.

Triple-A East teams will average 6,808 miles, down from 11,579 for the International League in 2019....

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Minor-leagues-switch-to-6-game-series-common-off-15960371.php