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So, just what does today’s announcement that the @HillsboroHops are officially part of the new structure in minor league baseball mean? I don’t work in the team offices, so I don’t know for sure, but I can help unpack a few things. (1/16)
Well, first, it’s GREAT NEWS for Hops fans. (And you know I don’t use “all caps” lightly.) Instead of being *five* levels below MLB, only Triple-A and Double-A will stand between the Hops and the bigs. (2/16)
This means you’ll see even better players than before. Who knows? You may even get to see top prospects like Kristian Robinson and Corbin Carroll return to the Hops. And perhaps Andy Yerzy will return to further pad his many franchise records. (3/16)
And while it isn’t common, it also isn’t unheard-of for players to get called directly to the major leagues from High-A ball. Former Hop Zac Curtis made just such a three-level jump from High A to the Diamondbacks when he made his big-league debut a few years back. (4/16)
While we’re on the subject of the Diamondbacks, it’s clearly excellent that the Hops’ partnership with Arizona will continue. There’s a reason the Hops have won 3 titles in 7 seasons: the D-backs emphasize winning in the minor leagues as a big part of player development. (5/16)
Oh, a few notes about rosters at High A. While player movement is a fact of life throughout the minor leagues, there should be significantly less player movement than there was at Short Season A ball, where many of the players came directly out of college. (6/16)
I expect the roster size to be smaller, too --- perhaps 25, down from 35 at Short-Season A. (Insider note: this makes it much easier on the front office, from the people who clean the uniforms to those who set up travel… and those who create the daily game notes. :-) ) (7/16)
Hops fans will now get to see more legit starting pitching. Far fewer pitchers on innings limits because they’re coming directly from a long college season. It will be great to see pitchers work into the seventh inning or beyond. (8/16)
Another note: you’ll be likelier to see more established big leaguers in injury rehab games. And as @cassawyer13 dreamed, how ’bout the thought of Mike Trout playing injury rehab games for Tri-City in Hillsboro? (Highly unlikely? Sure. But it’s possible.) (9/16)
As noted, the season will grow from 76 games to 132. Instead of 38 regular-season opportunities to see the Hops, you’ll now have 66. (Of course, that’s in a normal season. No telling how COVID will affect the length of the 2021 season.) (10/16)
Besides the Hops’ affiliation with the D-backs, the other teams and their parent clubs are the Eugene Emeralds (Giants), Everett Aquasox (Mariners), Spokane Indians (Rockies), Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) and Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays). (11/16)
According to the MLB release, it doesn’t look as though there will be divisions, which makes sense for a six-team league. I guess that means the Hops will play every other team 26 or 27 times. Rumor has it that there will be six-game series across the minor leagues… (12/16)
… with a set off day for each league --- for example, I hear they’re considering every Monday off for what used to be the Northwest League, and every Wednesday off for what used to be the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. (13/16)
Now, about those league names. “High-A West”? “Triple-A West”? Are they sticking with that? The NWL has been around for 65 years, and the PCL for nearly 120. That history matters to a lot of people. Ken Griffey Jr. played in the NWL; Joe DiMaggio played in the PCL. (14/15)
I, for one, vote strongly in favor of retaining the existing league names; and, if that can’t happen, at least adopting the Northwest League’s history under the new name. (15/16)
One thing is certain: this move is great for baseball fans in Portland. You’ll have more opportunities to go to games, and the caliber of play will be even better. (16/16)
