When researching prospects for our fantasy teams, we’re likely going to come across some talk about a player’s league or even home park skewing his stats. But exactly how much better are one league’s offensive statistics than the next? Without making it overly complicated, this post aims to give you a general idea of which leagues favor hitters and which favor pitchers. Each league’s average age is listed along with its rank in runs per game, home runs per game, and OPS. Just like in the majors, there are also minor league ballparks that are notoriously skewed towards hitters or pitchers. I find this kind of information helpful when looking at prospects. Player X may be a good pitcher in a homer-happy ballpark. That stud hitting prospect I picked up might be hitting less homers all of a sudden because he’s playing in a canyon now. Home parks and the leagues in which prospects play are important factors just like age, injury, and a host of other variables. Here are the 2014 stats for each league along with this year’s MiLB affiliation shuffle…
2014 MiLB League Stats
| League | Level | Avg. Age | R/G (rank) | HR/G (rank) | OPS (rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | A+ | 22.9 | 5.22 (1) | 0.95 (2) | 0.767 (2) |
| Pacific Coast | AAA | 26.7 | 5.03 (2) | 0.95 (1) | 0.771 (1) |
| International | AAA | 26.9 | 4.36 (6) | 0.74 (3) | 0.724 (3) |
| Eastern | AA | 24.7 | 4.35 (7) | 0.73 (4) | 0.718 (4) |
| South Atlantic | A | 21.7 | 4.58 (3) | 0.59 (7) | 0.710 (6) |
| Southern | AA | 24.5 | 4.31 (8) | 0.66 (6) | 0.711 (5) |
| Carolina | A+ | 22.9 | 4.41 (4) | 0.57 (9) | 0.705 (7) |
| Texas | AA | 24.3 | 4.18 (10) | 0.71 (5) | 0.695 (8) |
| Midwest | A | 21.7 | 4.37 (5) | 0.58 (8) | 0.692 (10) |
| Florida State | A+ | 22.9 | 4.21 (9) | 0.53 (10) | 0.695 (9) |
As is usually the case, the California and Pacific Coast Leagues led the way in offense while the Florida State League brought up the rear. There are also a few notes worth mentioning on individual parks. The PCL is notorious for inflating offensive numbers and features Albuquerque as one of it’s most homer-happy venues year after year. Columbus is a nice hitter’s park in the International League along with Durham.
Double-A isn’t as extreme in either direction. Reading usually boasts the biggest HR park factors in the Eastern League, Springfield and Tulsa lead the Texas League, and no park really stands out offensively in the Southern League. Arkansas has a reputation for being a pitcher’s park in the Texas League.
Move down a level and you’ll find the California League, which is right there with the PCL in offense. High Desert, Visalia, and Lancaster saw the most runs and homers at their home parks. If there’s a less “hitter-friendly” environment to be found in the California League it would be Inland Empire. Carolina isn’t nearly as extreme with Winston/Salem and Carolina favoring hitters and Wilmington favoring pitchers. The other end of the spectrum is also found at this level. The Florida State League has some of the lowest offensive totals year after year with Jupiter being the stingiest park of the bunch. The hitter’s parks in the FSL are Dunedin and St. Lucie.
Asheville and Hickory favor hitters in the South Atlantic League while Savannah and Lakewood favor pitchers. West Michigan is somewhat of a pitcher’s park in the Midwest League and is at least partly responsible for the excellent season Detroit pitching prospects had there in 2014.
2015 MiLB Affiliate Changes
| Level | League | Team | Previous Affiliate | New Affiliate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | PCL | Fresno | Giants | Astros |
| AAA | PCL | Albuquerque | Dodgers | Rockies |
| AAA | PCL | Oklahoma City | Astros | Dodgers |
| AAA | PCL | Sacramento | Athletics | Giants |
| AAA | PCL | Nashville | Brewers | Athletics |
| AAA | PCL | Colorado Springs | Rockies | Brewers |
| AA | EAS | New Britain | Twins | Rockies |
| AA | SOU | Chattanooga | Dodgers | Twins |
| AA | TEX | Tulsa | Rockies | Dodgers |
| A+ | CAR | Myrtle Beach | Rangers | Cubs |
| A+ | CAR | Lynchburg | Braves | Indians |
| A+ | CAR | Carolina | Indians | Braves |
| A+ | FSL | Daytona | Cubs | Reds |
| A+ | CAL | Bakersfield | Reds | Mariners |
| A+ | CAL | High Desert | Mariners | Rangers |
| A | MWL | Kane County | Cubs | Diamondbacks |
| A | MWL | South Bend | Diamondbacks | Cubs |
| A (ss) | NW | Boise | Cubs | Rockies |
| A (ss) | NW | Tri-City | Rockies | Padres |
| A (ss) | NW | Eugene | Padres | Cubs |
There was a lot of movement this year as you can see in the table. The Rockies and Cubs were shaken up the most with new affiliates at three levels. These changes tie into the first half of the post. Pitching prospects for the Rangers will have their hands full in High Desert – one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the minors. The same can be said for the Rockies’ young arms who will have to throw at Albuquerque’s home park. On the flip side, both teams’ hitting prospects will probably enjoy themselves. Personally, I’m looking forward to watching Colorado’s prospects come through nearby Akron now that New Britain is an affiliate in the Eastern League.
