How the minor league reorganization brought affiliates closer

The Somerset Patriots will be the Yankees’ new Double-A affiliate in 2021.

Almost six years ago, out of curiosity, I calculated just how far each Major League team was from its minor league affiliates, on average. I don’t think I expected to update it every offseason when affiliates moved or Player Development Contracts were renegotiated biennially, but in hindsight, that wouldn’t have been too hard to do — and would’ve made this post a little easier.

So now here we are, following a season with no minor league ball that saw a planned affiliation between the Marlins and new Wichita Wind Surge never materialize and the final season of the Pawtucket Red Sox vanish without so much as a last first pitch. The reorganization of the minor leagues was essentially finalized this week, with organizations extending invitations to farm clubs to be an affiliate, pending the finalization of the new Player Development Licenses.

Now, then: Let’s see how this reshuffling and consolidation affects the affiliates’ proximity to the parent clubs. First, though, we have to look at how the farm teams would’ve been set up in 2020, had there been a season.

2020 Affiliate Arrangements

How the 30 MLB organizations would've aligned their farm systems in 2020 if there had been a minor league season
Org.AverageTriple-AMilesDouble-AMilesHigh AMilesLow AMilesSS/RookieMilesRookieMiles
Angels1041.44Salt Lake681Rocket City (Madison, AL)1993Inland Empire47.2Burlington1842Orem644
A's1443.72Las Vegas558Midland1468Stockton67.6Beloit2104Vermont3021
Astros948.2Round Rock164Corpus Christi209Fayetteville1568Quad Cities1045Tri-City1755
Blue Jays928.3Buffalo98.8New Hampshire539Dunedin1350Lansing296Vancouver2685Bluefield601
Braves280.46Gwinnett36.1Mississippi377Florida542Rome68.2Danville379
Brewers872.6San Antonio1286Biloxi995Carolina921Wisconsin103Rocky Mountain1058
Cardinals519.7Memphis284Springfield215Palm Beach1136Peoria168State College740Johnson City575
Cubs813.02Iowa340Tennessee564Myrtle Beach925South Bend96.1Eugene2140
D-backs1162.5Reno745Jackson1511Visalia554Kane County1702Hillsboro1281Missoula1182
Dodgers1165.82Oklahoma City1330Tulsa1439Rancho Cucamonga45.1Great Lakes2289Ogden726
Giants1242.46Sacramento84.5Richmond2871San Jose50.8Augusta2616Salem-Keizer590
Indians148.34Columbus142Akron38.6Lynchburg480Lake County17.5Mahoning Valley63.6
Mariners1136.42Tacoma35.7Arkansas2255Modesto827West Virginia2535Everett29.4
Marlins978.06Wichita1580Jacksonville345Jupiter82.3Clinton1469Batavia1414
Mets502.7Syracuse261Binghamton187St. Lucie1185Columbia723Brooklyn22.2Kingsport638
Nationals677.82Fresno2785Harrisburg119Fredericksburg54.7Hagerstown73.4Auburn357
Orioles92.56Norfolk233Bowie27.5Frederick48.7Delmarva119Aberdeen34.6
Padres1036El Paso723Amarillo1041Lake Elsinore74Fort Wayne2174Tri-City1168
Phillies285.66Lehigh Valley63.4Reading66.1Clearwater1054Lakewood60.8Williamsport184
Pirates400.35Indianapolis360Altoona96.7Bradenton1064Greensboro429West Virginia71.4Bristol381
Rangers979.92Nashville680Frisco34.6Down East1267Hickory1050Spokane1868
Rays673.12Durham696Montgomery492Charlotte74.7Bowling Green791Hudson Valley1211Princeton774
Red Sox358.82Pawtucket41.7Portland107Salem676Greenville936Lowell33.4
Reds339.34Louisville99.4Chattanooga360Daytona892Dayton55.3Greeneville290
Rockies968.3Albuquerque422Hartford1878Lancaster998Asheville1447Boise819Grand Junction246
Royals590.17Omaha195NW Arkansas225Wilmington1112Lexington575Burlington281Idaho Falls1153
Tigers468.62Toledo58.1Erie270Lakeland1167West Michigan160Connecticut688
Twins1042.6Rochester1009Pensacola1230Fort Myers1696Cedar Rapids251Elizabethton1027
White Sox841.8Charlotte752Birmingham629Winston-Salem706Kannapolis744Great Falls1378
Yankees441.57Scranton/W-B129Trenton71.1Tampa1140Charleston768Staten Island24.3Pulaski517

The biggest change coming, of course, is what was presented in the coverage and discussion of this plan from the beginning: The elimination of some 20 teams, bringing the number of affiliated clubs from 140 down to 120. As you can see in the table above, not every Major League club had a sixth affiliate, and as in 2015, I did not include short-season teams that were based at Spring Training sites (i.e., the Gulf Coast League).

Now let’s look at the setup for 2021.

2021 Affiliate Distances

A sortable listing of all 30 organizations and their farm clubs
OrginazationAverageTriple-AMilesDouble-AMilesHigh AMilesLow AMiles
Angels955.3Salt Lake681Rocket City1993Tri-City1100Inland Empire47.2
A's1106.15Las Vegas558Midland1468Lansing2331Stockton67.6
Astros697.575Sugar Land22.3Corpus Christi209Asheville991Fayetteville1568
Blue Jays1168.2Buffalo98.8New Hampshire539Vancouver2685Dunedin1350
Braves161.575Gwinnett36.1Mississippi377Rome68.2Augusta165
Brewers638.5Nashville535Biloxi995Wisconsin103Carolina921
Cardinals450.75Memphis284Springfield215Peoria168Palm Beach1136
Cubs481.275Iowa340Tennessee564South Bend96.1Myrtle Beach925
D-backs820.75Reno745Amarillo703Hillsboro1281Visalia554
Dodgers1275.775Oklahoma City1330Tulsa1439Great Lakes2289Rancho Cucamonga45.1
Giants883.575Sacramento84.5Richmond2871Eugene528San Jose50.8
Indians169.525Columbus142Akron38.6Lake County17.5Lynchburg480
Mariners786.775Tacoma35.7Arkansas2255Everett29.4Modesto827
Marlins646.325Jacksonville345Pensacola675Beloit1483Jupiter82.3
Mets413.8Syracuse261Binghamton187Brooklyn22.2St. Lucie1185
Nationals166.175Rochester383Harrisburg119Wilmington108Fredricksburg54.7
Orioles103.525Norfolk233Bowie27.5Aberdeen34.6Delmarva119
Padres1063El Paso723San Antonio1281Fort Wayne2174Lake Elsinore74
Phillies311.075Lehigh Valley63.4Reading66.1Lakewood60.8Clearwater1054
Pirates487.425Indianapolis360Altoona96.7Greensboro429Bradenton1064
Rangers634.65Round Rock187Frisco34.6Hickory1050Down East1267
Rays608.75Durham696Montgomery492Bowling Green791Charleston456
Red Sox440.1Worcester41.4Portland107Greenville936Salem676
Reds351.675Louisville99.4Chattanooga360Dayton55.3Daytona892
Rockies1132Albuquerque422Hartford1878Spokane1086Fresno1142
Royals440.5Omaha195NW Arkansas225Quad Cities364Columbia978
Tigers413.775Toledo58.1Erie270West Michigan160Lakeland1167
Twins648.875St. Paul12.5Wichita636Cedar Rapids251Fort Myers1696
White Sox707.75Charlotte752Birmingham629Winston-Salem706Kannapolis744
Yankees346.525Scranton/W-B129Somerset53.8Hudson Valley63.3Tampa1140

Some notable differences:

  • In 2020, eight organizations averaged more than 1,000 miles to their affiliates. In 2021, five will. In 2020, there were 20 organizations averaging at least 500 miles; in ’21 that will be down to 16.
  • The number of teams averaging fewer than 200 miles will double from two to four.
  • Triple-A teams within 100 miles of the parent club will go from eight to 10, with the two new ones also now the two closest: Sugar Land to Houston (22.3 miles) and St. Paul to Minneapolis (12.5). The Red Sox also saw their Triple-A franchise move from Pawtucket, R.I., to Worcester, Mass. — cutting just three-tenths of a mile off the distance to Boston.

2021 Classification Proximity

A breakdown of how far, on average, the affiliates are from their parent clubs by level
ClassificationAverageClosestFarthest
Triple-A213.6812.5 (Twins/St. Paul, AAA)1,330 (Dodgers/Oklahoma City, AAA)
Double-A519.8527.5 (Orioles/Bowie, AA)2,871 (Giants/Richmond, AA)
A-Advanced452.717.5 (Indians/Lake County, A-Adv.)2,685 (Blue Jays/Vancouver, A-Adv.)
Class A1054.3845.1 (Dodgers/Rancho Cucamonga, A)1,696 (Twins/Fort Myers, A)

Now let’s compare the averages from 2016-20 and again from ’20 to ’21.

Affiliate Distance Changes 2020-21

Negative numbers indicate an increase in average distance to a club's affiliates; positive numbers show a decrease in distance
Team2016 Avg.2020 Avg.2021 Avg.2016-20 change2020-21 change
Angels974.241041.44955.3-67.286.14
A's1789.921443.721106.15346.2337.57
Astros1220.67948.2697.58272.47250.63
Blue Jays928.3928.31168.20-239.9
Braves258.26280.46161.58-22.2118.89
Brewers963.2872.6638.590.6234.1
Cardinals519.67519.67450.75068.92
Cubs813.02813.02481.280331.75
D-backs1183.171162.5820.7520.67341.75
Dodgers1165.821165.821275.780-109.96
Giants1242.461242.46883.580358.89
Indians148.34148.34169.5250-21.19
Mariners1069.021136.42786.78-67.4349.65
Marlins702.46978.06646.33-275.6331.74
Mets898.7502.7413.839688.9
Nationals191.02677.82166.18-486.8511.65
Orioles92.5692.56103.530-10.97
Padres10841036106348-27
Phillies285.66285.66311.080-25.42
Pirates365.18400.35487.43-35.17-87.08
Rangers896.92979.92634.65-83345.27
Rays673.12673.12608.75064.37
Red Sox358.82358.82440.10-81.28
Reds654.74339.34351.68315.4-12.34
Rockies1004.33968.33113236-163.67
Royals590.17590.17440.50149.67
Tigers468.62468.62413.78054.85
Twins996.21042.6648.88-46.4393.73
White Sox841.8841.8707.750134.05
Yankees441.57441.57346.53095.05

From ’16 to ’20, eight teams saw their average distance grow and eight more saw it shrink. But from ’20 to ’21, every team has a change, with two-thirds of the teams seeing an improvement vs. only 10 seeing the distance, on average, get longer. What’s more, the 20 teams that brought their affiliates closer did so by an average of 232.4 miles, while those that had the average distance grow only saw it extended by 77.9 miles, on average.

There’s a bit more behind those numbers, too. The worst negative change was the Blue Jays seeing their average distance grow by 239.9 miles, yet their four affiliates for 2021 were all part of the organization in 2020. What gives? Well, the relatively nearby relationships with Lansing, Mich., (296 miles from Toronto) and Bluefield, W. Va., (601 miles) were eliminated, and the Jays wanted to maintain their ties with the Vancouver franchise (the only affiliated minor league club in Canada) and the one based at their Dunedin, Fla., Spring Training base. Those clubs are 2,685 and 1,350 miles away, respectively. Remove the Blue Jays from the average distance lost, and the other nine organizations only saw the distance increase by 59.9 miles.

Near ... Far ...

Each Major League club's nearest and farthest affiliate
Org.AverageClosestFarthest
Angels955.347.2, Inland Empire (A)1993, Rocket City (AA)
A's1106.1567.6, Stockton (A)2331, Lansing (A-Adv.)
Astros697.5822.3, Sugar Land (AAA)1568, Fayetteville (A)
Blue Jays1168.298.8, Buffalo (AAA)2685, Vancouver (A-Adv.)
Braves161.5836.1, Gwinnett (AA)377, Mississippi (AA)
Brewers638.5103, Wisconsin (A-Adv.)995, Biloxi (AA)
Cardinals450.75168, Peoria (A-Adv.)1136, Palm Beach (A)
Cubs481.2896.1, South Bend (A-Adv.)925, Myrtle Beach (A)
D-backs820.75554, Visalia (A)1281, Hillsboro (A-Adv.)
Dodgers1275.7845.1, Rancho Cucamonga (A)2289, Great Lakes (A-Adv.)
Giants883.5850.8, San Jose (A)2871, Richmond (AA)
Indians169.5817.5, Lake County (A-Adv.)480, Lynchburg (A)
Mariners786.7829.4, Everett (A-Adv.)2255, Arkansas (AA)
Marlins646.3382.3, Jupiter (A)1483, Beloit (A-Adv.)
Mets413.822.2, Brooklyn (A-Adv.)1185, St. Lucie (A)
Nationals166.1854.7, Fredricksburg (A)383, Rochester (AAA)
Orioles103.5327.5, Bowie (AA)233, Norfolk (AAA)
Padres106374, Lake Elsinore (A)2174, Fort Wayne (A-Adv.)
Phillies311.0860.8, Lakewood (A-Adv.)1054, Clearwater (A)
Pirates487.4396.7, Altoona (AA)1064, Bradenton (A)
Rangers634.6534.6, Frisco (AA)1267, Down East (A)
Rays608.75456, Charleston (A)791, Bowling Green (A-Adv.)
Red Sox440.141.4, Worcester (AAA)936, Greenville (A-Adv.)
Reds351.6855.3, Dayton (A-Adv.)892, Daytona (A)
Rockies1132422, Albuquerque (AAA)1878, Hartford (AA)
Royals440.5195, Omaha (AAA)978, Columbia (A)
Tigers413.7858.1, Toledo (AAA)1167, Lakeland (A)
Twins648.8812.5, St. Paul (AAA)1696, Fort Myers (A)
White Sox707.75629, Birmingham (AA)752, Charlotte (AAA)
Yankees346.5353.8, Somerset (AA)1140, Tampa (A)

On the other side, the Nationals saw the greatest improvement from 2020 to ’21, gaining 511.6 miles, on average. Most of that will come from their Triple-A franchise being based in Rochester, N.Y., instead of Fresno, Calif. But if you took out the Nationals’ figure from the average of the 20 teams that improved, those teams will still see an average gain of 217.7 miles.

Furthermore, of the 10 teams that will have an increase in average distance, only three (the Blue Jays, Rockies and Dodgers) saw the average increase more than 100 miles. Los Angeles, like Toronto, does not have any new affiliates among its four; the increase comes from eliminating the relatively close team (Ogden, Utah, 726 miles) and keeping one that’s far away (Great Lakes, in Michigan, 2,289 miles). And Colorado no longer has Mountain Time Zone affiliates in Boise, Id., (819 miles) or Grand Junction, Colo., (246 miles) but did exchange Lancaster, Calif., for Spokane, Wash. (an increase of 88 miles) and Asheville, N.C., for Fresno (a decrease of 305 miles).

Meanwhile, of the 20 organizations that drew their affiliates closer, 14 saw the distances cut by more than 100 miles, with 11 seeing improvements of more than 200 miles and nine tightening the circle by more than 300 miles.

It remains to be seen how these now-unaffiliated clubs will fare without the ties to Major League organizations — or how the MLB-affiliated Draft League and now-college summer circuit Appalachian League will do — but it’s clear why this revamping of the minor leagues was done.

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