Alaska League

Alaska is still a good league, but it has been surpassed by the Northwoods League and it on par with New England and Texas right now. Alaska's biggest downfall is a reluctance to take players from a school not located on the west coast.

I didn't personally play there, but had teammates who did. It is a perfect place for a kid who likes to hunt/fish and enjoy the outdoors. There is no other form of entertainment available.

I'm not quite sure what instrument is used to measure this.
I know guys who went there and some loved it. Too much wilderness for my son.

I don't know why they didn't do it after this past summer, but upon the completion of the summer schedule in 2006 Baseball America ranked the top summer leagues.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/features/262310.html

It is hard to get eastern guys out to Alaska. There are lots of expenses involved for the league. However, my son's friend a Florida guy, went and loved every minute of it.

I think that your summer experience is what you make of it, no matter where you go.

In terms of prospects, the Alaskan league is probably #2 behind the Cape, with the Northwoods league close behind. The NECBL, NYCBL, and the Coastal Plain league are probably next. Don't forget that the Great Lakes League has put out quite a few good prospects lately.

The Texas league is a shell of it's former self now. They are only a 4 or 5 team now, and I rank them maybe the 7 best league now.

I have to respectfully disagree with the rankings of the prospect levels for college summer leagues. I have experience playing/coaching in the Great Lakes, Jayhawk, New York and Northwoods. I have placed players in all leagues during my time spent coaching.

The Northwoods is the clear cut #2, while the Coastal Plains would be next in the pecking order. Alaska has morphed into a West Coast underclassmen league, while a good number of the best players from the west coast still head out to the Northwoods each summer.

New York is so far behind the other leagues there is no comparison. New York is a good league for redshirted Division I players and solid lower division players to play, but there are really very few legitimate prospects in that league to speak of.

I can agree with the Northwoods league, but Baseball America would disagree with you about the Alaskan League. Jayhawk may be expanding, but you can't put them up there.

I agree about the Jayhawk, I didn't mean to put them in the same category. Alaska is one of the premier leagues, I am not intending to sound as though I am ragging on it. Rather I am trying to sing the praises of the Northwoods. The league is first class all the way, with really Brainerd being the only poor organization. The opportunity to play 68 games in 74 days and to have as long as two week road trips playing in front on thousands of fans each night is as close to a pro ball experience as a college player can get.

I never got the chance to play in the Northwoods league, but some of my friends and teammates did. They loved every minute of it.

From what I've gathered and gleamed from people, each league has it's own niche. (At least the good ones do)

In terms of "prospects," I think that most people will agree that the Big three are the Cape, Alaskan and Northwoods.

The Valley and CPL are gaining ground as well.

Son played in both Northwoods and Alaska and liked the Northwoods League much better. Just not an outdoorsman and not much else to do in the ABL.

Central Illinois League has plenty of mid-west talent. Those little towns can be pretty dreary tho.

http://www.ciclbaseball.com/

CICL is a good league. With the addition of the Springfield Sliders, the league will only get better.