Taking the @BaseballAmerica report about the Yankees new minor league affiliations at face value (which I do), there’s things we’ve learned. A thread: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/yankees-moving-minor-league-affiliates-to-somerset-hudson-valley-in-2021/

First: The Somerset Patriots are the first Indy league to make the 120. That means 1 more 2019-MiLB team loses its affiliation this fall. It’s also an interesting choice, not just for the rivalry-ironic name.

Somerset’s home is a little closer than Trenton to NYC, but not so much that the move is a significant advantage. The stadium is about 5 years newer, but I don’t know enough details about if it’s better facilities. But this shows how Indy teams are valid choices.

Second: A new Single-A league! The Yanks are moving from Charleston SC of the SAL to Hudson Valley, north of NYC, promoted from the NY-Penn League. That’s too far north for the South Atlantic League, too Far East for the Midwest League.

This is interesting, because HV is pretty far north even for a rumored Mid-Atlantic League, made up of the northern SAL teams (which range from West Virginia to New Jersey). It doesn’t make sense for travel, unless other NY-P teams are coming up.

Which means that more teams in the SAL (and Carolina League, probably) are vulnerable than we thought. Or the travel desires aren’t as important when it comes to favored northeast teams.

(Brooklyn is also heavily rumored to get promoted from the NY-P, but that’s to go into Double-A for the Mets, so it’s a different circuit than HV.)

On a smaller level, the Yankees are, of course, staying with teams they own. This is no surprise, but it’s a solid confirmation that ownership groups shared with MLB organizations or ownership partners will remain a thing.

We still have many questions unanswered, including the rumored switch of the two A-Ball levels. And of course, what teams will make the 120. And how alignments out west will work. But it is an answer that we will see significant realignment and Indy teams joining MiLB.