3 Opening Days in one?! Double-A, High-A, Single-A are underway
Jesse Borek
@JesseABorekMajor League Opening Day? Check. Triple-A Opening Day? Check. Next up? The rest of the Minors.
Baseball fans get a three-for-one eruption of action on the diamond Friday when the Double-A, High-A and Single-A seasons get underway, signaling the official green light of an exhilarating summer ahead.
While the players about to embark on Opening Day may not sit the proverbial "one step away" from The Show, it's tough to argue that they couldn't impact big league rosters -- and in short order.
Just last year, Jackson Chourio produced an historic season for Double-A Biloxi before inking the richest deal in MLB history for a player yet to make his big league debut. And how about Nolan Schanuel, whom the Angels selected with the 11th overall pick in last July's Draft and fast-tracked through the system for just 22 Minors games before he started setting a record on-base streak to begin his Major League career.
At this time last year, Jackson Holliday, MLB's No. 1 prospect, was at Single-A. Now he's on the precipice of stardom after winning MLB Pipeline's Prospect Hitter of the Year Award in 2023. You may not know all the names yet, but their skillsets are ready to be put on display.
Here's everything you need to know for the final installment of the Opening Day extravaganza.
See free MiLB games on MLB.TV
Once again in 2024, baseball fans can watch Minor League Baseball games across all of MLB’s digital platforms.
But with or without a subscription, you can watch select, curated Minor League games featuring MLB’s top prospects FREE here on MLB.com and on the MLB Pipeline homepage all season long. The MiLB Game of the Day will be available on MLB.TV as well.
This weekend, fans can watch a Triple-A clash as Toledo and Tigers No. 4 prospect (MLB No. 56) Jace Jung face Iowa and Cubs top prospect (MLB No. 16) Pete Crow-Armstrong on Saturday, as well as top-ranked Tigers pitching prospect Jackson Jobe (MLB's No. 2 RHP/No. 24 overall) leading reigning Double-A Eastern League champion Erie on Sunday.
Fans' Guide to Opening Day: Part Deux
Triple-A Opening Day arrived across the country -- from Syracuse to Sacramento and many stops in between -- last Friday. Now the Double-A, High-A and Single-A levels will begin play. In other words, the season is in full swing. Here's a handy guide of what to follow and when to follow it during our second 204 Minor League Opening Day. More »
Top pitching prospects take the hill
A whole host of top pitching prospects will be taking the mound in hopes of getting their teams' seasons started on the right foot. Rhett Lowder (Reds No. 2/MLB No. 33), last year's No. 7 overall Draft pick, makes his pro debut for the High-A Dayton Dragons, while Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers No. 2/MLB No. 32), one of 2023's biggest breakout prospects, gets the Opening Night nod for Milwaukee's Double-A Biloxi Shuckers. Additionally, at the Triple-A level, the top right- and left-handed pitching prospects in the Minors both take the ball, with Pittsburgh's Paul Skenes (MLB No. 3) making his second start of the season for Indianapolis after his dominant debut on Saturday and Toronto's Ricky Tiedemann (MLB No. 28) toeing the slab for Buffalo. More »
Minor League promos to look forward to
Here are some of the best MiLB promos taking place this season, a representative sampling as opposed to a definitive ranking. Dive in, and then make plans to visit your local Minor League ballpark to experience them in person. Or, better yet, use our Minor League Ballpark Guides to plan a road trip. There's a lot going on, starting right now. More »
Bold prospect predictions -- one for each team
It’s never too early or too late to make a few fun predictions about the season to come, and we’ve looked into crystal balls to provide a prospect-related one for every farm system in 2024. More »
Where Top 100 prospects will start the season
Fifteen of MLB’s Top 100 prospects are opening 2024 in the Majors. But Double-A features the most Top 100 talent with 31 players slated to start their season at the level. The lower levels will get some shine as well, with 11 members of the list at High-A and 10 at Single-A. More »
11 reasons to be excited about the Minor League season
Every organization’s quest for a World Series title and every future star’s journey to big league greatness is built in the Minors. It’s where new fans are made and baseball lifers congregate in dugouts, front offices, press boxes and the stands. It’s where wild, wacky identities are invented and reinvented and concessions experimentation goes oh-so-right. Here are the on-the-field achievements and off-the-field antics our staff is most looking forward to. More »
8 new concession items you'll want to try
Baseball develops some of its best elements in the Minor Leagues, from the talent of players, to ballpark promotions to rule changes. That also extends to food. Here are eight new food items, concocted through that old Minor League spirit of innovation and experimentation, that you’ll be able to find at a MiLB park in 2024. More »
Pipeline Podcast the place to be
On the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo are your tour guides through all the unfolding stories and breaking news of baseball's top prospects. Throughout the season, they'll be joined by many of the Minors' top players and dish their insight on all things prospectdom. More »