Baseball scouting service Prep Baseball Report has partnered with Major League Baseball to launch the MLB Draft League. The new league will host its inaugural 68-game season next summer, giving top amateur prospects the chance to be discovered by scouts before the 2021 MLB Draft in mid-July.
The six-team league will consist of clubs that previously competed in the New York-Penn League, which has downsized due to MLB’s decision to eliminate roughly 40 affiliated Minor League Baseball teams. The Draft League will primarily consist of rising college seniors and recent college graduates, according to Baseball America.
“PBR will provide support for the league’s staffing, player and coach recruitment, on-field operations, and administrative functions. PBR will also use their media and technology platforms to promote the league and its players throughout the season,” according to a statement from MLB.
Prep Baseball Report has existing partnerships with tech companies such as TrackMan and BlastMotion. In another development announced Monday as part of MLB’s ongoing farm system restructure, the Pioneer League was named an MLB Partner League. It joins the American Association, Atlantic League and Frontier League as leagues to receive MLB’s new independent partner status.
