From the First-Year Player Draft to AAA, the path to the majors is often long and winding

Albert Pujols is just one of many major leaguers who had to work his way through the minor league system.

By Nick Klopsis

Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, and David Wright are just some of Major League Baseball’s most famous players. They earn million-dollar salaries, have endorsement deals, and live like rock stars off the field. But they, like everyone who aspires to play in front of 50,000 fans every day, had to pay their dues and work their way through the minor leagues.

The minor leagues have been called “the farm system” since the 1930s, when then-St. Louis Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey joked that small-town teams were “growing players down on the farm like corn” for their big-league counterparts.

More than 80 years later, Rickey’s comment still holds true—the minor leagues is where young players hone their skills in order to reach the majors.

It usually takes several years to crack a major league roster, although the average amount of time is hard to quantify.  But one thing is common: it all starts with the MLB First-Year Player Draft. Players can enter the draft immediately out of high school, as a college junior or senior, or at any point in junior college. The one exception is international players, who are signed straight from their home countries and completely bypass the draft.

After signing their contract, teams assign the draftees to their rookie league or Class-A short season affiliate, which start in June to allow newly-drafted college players the chance to play in the College World Series. Most of these teams play at the major league club’s spring training facility in Arizona or Florida, though some short-season teams are located in the boroughs of New York City, Pennsylvania, Washington, Tennessee, and even Vancouver.

After that is Class-A ball, which is split into two subdivisions: Class A (otherwise called Low-A), and Class-A Advanced (also known as High-A or A+ ball).  Then comes Double-A, where talent is just as important as youth. Most clubs are based in the Northeast (Trenton, NJ; Binghamton, N.Y.; Bowie, Md.), the Southeast (Mobile, Ala.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Pearl, Miss.) or the South (Frisco, Texas; Tulsa, Okla.; Springfield, Mo.). For many players, AA is their chance to prove themselves to the discerning eye of major league scouts.

“AA is the first real proving ground,” said Josh Norris, Trenton Thunder beat writer for the Trentonian. “If you can’t hack it in AA, you probably won’t hack it in the majors.”

The final stop is Triple-A, one stop directly below the major leagues. Here, there’s usually a fair mix of future stars who are chomping at the bit to get to the majors, veterans trying to salvage their career, and emergency backups who are one pulled hamstring away from joining the major league club.

Although the competition differs at each level, the overall experience is largely consistent. Games are played in front of smaller crowds, creating a more personal atmosphere between the team and its fans. Teams average a shade fewer than 4,000 people per “home date,” according to a recent study of minor league attendance. Games are fan-friendly, and often use oddball promotions and gimmicks to attract people.

“When you have 5,000 or 6,000 people cheering for you, it’s easier to get psyched up for the game,” said Thunder right fielder Dan Brewer. “It becomes a focus thing. It provides a good atmosphere for us.”