Marshall: Ballpark effects in Triple-A
From Ashley Marshall at MiLB.com on February 8, 2014:
When it comes to the Minor Leagues, Triple-A is the closest a player can get to The Show.
Though some of the game’s top prospects might skip a level or two further down the chain, Triple-A baseball is arguably the toughest test for a player looking to make a final good impression.
It’s here where the level of competition is closest to that of the Majors. Veterans and hypothetical “Quad-A” players are trying to make their way back to the big leagues and prospects are getting one last bit of seasoning with the knowledge that the next phone call they receive could make their careers.
Within the two domestic Triple-A leagues, however, two different environments exist. The predominantly East Coast-based International League is considered much tougher for hitters than its counterpart, the geographically diverse Pacific Coast League, where offensive numbers are consistently among the highest in the Minors.
Read the full article here: http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140203&content_id=66858162&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&sid=milb
Originally published: February 8, 2014. Last Updated: February 8, 2014.