minor leagues
Baseball's feeder circuit
The minor leagues are the lower-tier professional baseball leagues that develop players for the major leagues.
Teams are affiliated with major league franchises, serving as training grounds where players hone skills before promotion.
Figuratively, minor league describes anything second-rate or not yet ready for the highest level: That's minor league stuff—we need professionals.
Player development organization
- AAATop credit rating
- AATwo-letter abbreviation
- AHighest academic mark
- affiliatesConnected member organizations
call-up · prospects · draft · development · scouting · batting average · ERA · innings pitched
Expected future outcomes
- rookiesInexperienced beginners in profession
- farm systemPlayer development organization
- stepping stoneIntermediate stage toward goal
- training groundSite for skill development
breeding ground · grooming · nurturing · developmental · incubator · launchpad · proving ground · pipeline
Below top rank
- lower divisionFirst two collegiate years
- small-timeOf little significance
- secondaryLesser in rank
- subordinateOne lower in rank
lesser · inferior · amateur · semi-professional · regional · local · provincial · grassroots
farm system
Player development organization
affiliates · call-up · prospects · draft · development · scouting · batting average · ERA · innings pitched · manager
prospects
Expected future outcomes
- rookiesInexperienced beginners in profession
- farm systemPlayer development organization
- stepping stoneIntermediate stage toward goal
training ground · breeding ground · grooming · nurturing · developmental · incubator · launchpad · proving ground · pipeline · pathway
second-tier
Below top rank
- lower divisionFirst two collegiate years
- small-timeOf little significance
- secondaryLesser in rank
subordinate · lesser · inferior · amateur · semi-professional · regional · local · provincial · grassroots · entry-level
- Hockey OrganizationsNHL, junior hockey
- Minor Leaguesfarm teams, farm team, Double-A, Single-A, farm system
- athletesathlete, Olympian, champion, swimmers, runner
- baseballbaseball, bat, pitchers, catchers, pitcher
- Pro Sportsteam, teams, players, roster, coaches
- competition levelselite tier, top tier, mid tier, lower tier, upper tier
minor leaguesmajor leagues
Highest level professional baseball
big leagues · Major League Baseball · the bigs · the show · top flight
minor leaguesbig leagues
Top professional level
major leagues · big time · top tier · major league · prime time
minor, league, minimize, minors, majors, leagues, minimizes, minimized, minimization