Major League vs. Minor League Baseball

There are a lot of good baseball players out there. Nothing reminds me of this more than the fact that sure, there is Major League Baseball with 30 teams of the absolute best teams and players, but the minor and independent league talent is staggering. And this isn’t even looking at college baseball!

Anyway, all of this got me thinking about the differences between major league and minor league baseball. Well, all of this plus the fact that my favorite team, Oakland A’s are a few hours away from me, but the River Cats are a short drive from home. (I haven’t yet gone to a game.)

So, I wanted to take a deeper dive for anyone who might be in the same boat, and perhaps has only seen a minor league baseball game, or, is a fan and is looking forward to their favorite prospect making a jump to the bigs.

Rules

Baseball is a strange game for the fact that up until this year, there were different rules between the two factions of the major leagues, with the primary difference being that the American League allowed a Designated Hitter and the National League didn’t.

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So, it’s not really that big of a surprise to learn that there are many different rules between major league and minor league baseball. But, those changes are probably much different than you think given that the minor leagues are treated as a rule testing ground.

Pay

One hot topic of late isn’t the difference in how much minor leaguers earn compared to major leaguers, but rather, how little minor leaguers earn in general. For minor leaguers, their pay is determined whether or not they are signed to a mjor league contract.

According to, AP News, “Those with major league contracts who are in the minor leagues on optional or outright assignments have a minimum salary this year of $57,200 for the six-month season if playing under a first major league contract, and $114,100 if playing under a second or later major league contract.

Not awful, right? That said, what if they are signed to a minor league contract? From that same article:

“The minimum salary is $400 weekly at rookie level, $500 at Class A, $600 at Double-A and $700 at Triple-A. Major League Baseball says 63% of players on opening day minor league rosters this year had salaries above the minimum and players also receive health care, tuition assistance, housing, meals and per diem during the season.”

And let’s also not forget that players are only paid for the season, or about 5 months max. This means that at the highest level of minor league baseball, $700 per week will lead to a total of just over $15,000.

Minor leaguers are only paid for the duration of the baseball season, which can be as long as five months. A minor league player earning the maximum $700-per-week compensation for approximately 22 weeks would earn $15,400.

Teams & Locations

I’m lucky to have access to a few of the California baseball teams, but that’s not the case for everyone wanting to watch major league action. With only 30 teams and 50 US states, and many states with more than one team, not everyone has the chance to see major leaguers doing what they do best.

On the flip side, there 120 minor league teams (and the math checks out—4 teams for each of the major league teams in Single-A, High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A). And with placements in cities like Fort Wayne, Indiana, Des Moines, Iowa, and Biloxi, Mississippi, in-person minor league baseball is much more accessible than a live MLB game.

Fan Experience

Splitting off of the above, you can also probably guess that a major league ball game is a much different experience than a minor league event. But before we go further, that doesn’t mean that an MLB game is more fun than a minor league match.

Really, it depends on your personal preference. At a major league game, the stadiums are much larger, and the best seats are fewer and further between. This means more people, more seats, and more seats that don’t exactly offer a stunning visual. You’ll also be paying major league prices for parking, concessions, and more.

On the plus side, if it’s a prime matchup, sold-out stadiums get loud and lively, offering an experience you might not ever find anywhere else.

At minor league games, it’s a much more intimate experience—smaller ballparks, fewer seats. Thus, it’s a lot easier to feel on top of the action at a minor league team, and you can literally get up close and personal with players. You might find yourself more invested in a game because you can see and hear pretty much everything taking place.

And lets face it—baseball is baseball, so games are long either way. Both offer entertainment between innings, so that’s also probably a wash.