What is Minor League Baseball and other frequently asked questions about MiLB.

What is MiLB?

MiLB stands for Minor League Baseball, as opposed to MLB, which stands for Major League Baseball.

What is Minor league baseball?

Minor League Baseball, or MiLB, is a hierarchy of professional baseball teams that are affiliated with Major League Baseball.   Each team of the MLB has their own network of minor league teams (sometimes called “farm teams” or “farm leagues”) which are used for player development.  In other words, every MiLB team is contracted to one of the Major League teams.

For example, the New York Yankees’ minor league teams range from the highest level of AAA (or “triple A”, which currently is the Empire State Yankees based out of Rochester, NY) all the way down to their rookie ball teams in the Dominican Republic and Gulf Coast League in Florida.

[one_half][box]Helpful Tip. A sure-fire way to prove you know absolutely NOTHING about professional baseball is to ask a minor league baseball player any of the following questions:

• “When are you going pro?”
• “Are you hoping to get drafted?”
• “Do you want to play professional baseball?”
• “Are you hoping to make it to the big leagues?”
• “How do you try out to be on this team?”

This article explains why that is.[/box][/one_half]

Who plays in the Minor Leagues?

Nearly every baseball player in the MLB started in the minors.  Players start low and work their way up the ladder of minor league levels (sometimes skipping a level or two) until they get to the Major Leagues.  The rate at which players advance can be vastly different in each case.  You may encounter guys who made it through all the levels and are playing in the big leagues after only 2 years, or you may meet a guy who has been in the MiLB for 15 years.

Also, it is common for players to get called up to the big leagues and then sent back down several times, especially when young or first breaking into the Major Leagues.

Do all baseball players start in the minor leagues?  

There have been a handful of players to skip the minors and go straight to the big leagues, but this is very, very rare.  Only 2 guys in the last 15 years have done it (Mike Leake in 2010 and Xavier Nady in 2000).

What are the Minor League levels?

The levels of MiLB are as follows, starting with the highest level and working down to the lowest:

1. AAA or triple A is the highest MiLB level, and where players are most likely to be called up to the parent Major League team.
2. AA or double A
3. Class A advanced or “High A”
4. Class A, or “Low A”
5. Class A short season or “short season”
6. 2 Rookie ball teams  – These teams usually play between 70 and 80 games in a season.  This is where newly drafted players often start their pro careers.
7. There’s also extended spring training where games are played 6 days a week, but is not officially a team.

MiLB teams listed by affiliated parent team
MiLB teams listed by level
Is there a minor league team near me?  Teams by location 

How much do minor league players make?

Some minor league players make a lot of money (millions).  Some make a modest but decent income ($20,000 to $67,000).  More likely they barely make enough to live (live with host families and have parents paying their bills).

The first contract for a newly drafted player is for 7 seasons of minor league play (unless the player signs a Major League contract before the 7 seasons are done).  For those first 7 seasons, players are paid slotted money that changes by level and years of play.  It starts at around $850 a month (less than $5,000 a year) and increases minimally with time and promotion – and thats only during the 5 month baseball season.  This is why many players at lower levels live with host families.  Once in triple A, players are making $2,000 – $2,500 a month.

The exception to this is players who are on the 40 man roster.  First year roster guys make a minimum of $32,000 a year, while 2nd and 3rd year guys make $67,300 a year.

Once a free agent, players can negotiate their salaries.  From experience, I’m going to estimate that minor league free agents can make between $5,000 and $20,000 a month (remember this is only during baseball season).

Occasionally there are players who signed guaranteed Major League contracts and were then sent down to triple A, so they could be making millions of dollars a year.

This is a great article about what life of a minor leaguer is like before free agency.

Who owns the minor league teams?

Each MiLB team is independently owned, but the team’s baseball players are actually employed by the parent organization.  For example, a guy playing for the Tulsa Drillers (which is the double A affiliate for the Colorado Rockies) is part of the Colorado Rockies organization.  The Rockies pay his paychecks, and the player was probably drafted by the Rockies to begin with.

Can I try out for an MiLB team?

If you want to play for a minor league team, you must either be drafted out of high school or college, or sign as a non-drafted free agent.  Click here to read more about how to get drafted.

I hope you have found this article on “What is minor league baseball?” and other MiLB FAQ’s has been helpful for you.  If you have questions or suggestions for additions to this article, I invite you to leave a comment below.

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Who are we?   ProBaseballinsider.com, launched in February 2012, is a free resource that exists to help serious baseball players maximize their potential by providing baseball tips and instruction from professional baseball players, as well as best baseball gear recommendations and the Low Liners Blog.  PBI founder Doug Bernier debuted with the Colorado Rockies in 2008 and is currently plays AAA for the New York Yankees.  During off seasons, Doug lives with his wife and co-founder Sarah, and their 8 month old baby girl, in Palm Beach Gardnes, FL.