Difference between Rookie ball and Short A

A first year player is always a rookie!

 

Here is the difference, low rookie  is referred to as complex ball, you do not play in a stadium you play at the complex.  Games at 12-1pm and you have to report around 7-8 am if you want breakfast. Most of these teams are made up of latin players first coming to america. Sometimes they do place later drafted college seniors there to be mentors for the players and lower drafted HS players. No stadium, no fans. Those leagues are played at the spring training facilities, in FL and in AZ. High drafted  HS players usually do not spend much time there, maybe a week or two if the sign early.

 

Rookie A is a step above, played in two different leagues, one is the Appalachian League and not all teams have rookie A teams.  College players may be sent there, who will be playing most likely with second season players.

 

Then there is rookie A short season, also known as the college leagues, made up of college guys and second and third year players as well. Example is the NY Penn league.

 

Then  there is class A regular season (not considered rookie).  The Midwest league is an example.  

 

College drafted players will either go to rookie A, short season A, or they may go to regular season A, based upon the organization and how they placed in the draft. In sons case, he went to short season and the following year right to high A, everyone gets placed differently.

 

You can look up each organization and where their affiliates are played and what levels, some have mroe levels than others, and if your son gets drafted you might want to ask where he will be going based on his ability.  

 

I want to add that short season and rookie ball levels do not begin until next month, so players that have not made full season teams, have been practicing in what is called extended spring training.

 

Hope that this helps.

When son played his organization had Rookie ball ( complex ball).with players moved from Latin complex and hs draft picks and was like TPM described 

Next was short season with college players and the first round HS draft pick (more like pro ball with travel and fans)

Then low A

high A

AA

AAA

depends on the size of the ball fences And the maturity of the player and his agent

(advisor)

 

Bob

Actually, it depends more on the size of the players signing bonus!

So what if the HS player is a 1st round pick with a $2MM+ bonus?  Does that really change where the send him?  Just curious.

Yes.

From kids I've followed on milb.com it seems they mostly go to short season. But if they succeed right away they move up in two weeks. Kyle Schwarber went from short season to AA last year. He was called up to DH for the Cubs for two series versus AL teams. Imagine getting sent back to AAA after hitting .364 with two homers because there isn't a position for you yet.