May 4 marks the return of Minor League Baseball, which was last played in September 2019. The entire MiLB operation was scrubbed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A lot has changed since minor league ball was last played, as Major League Baseball has taken ownership of all minor league operations. MLB has reorganized the entire operation, re-aligning leagues to facilitate more economical travel, and contracting the number of minor league teams. Gone entirely are leagues such as the South Atlantic League, the NY-Penn League, and the Pioneer League. All teams now have four affiliates (AAA, AA, High-A, and Low-A). Short-season leagues are gone. For those leagues that remain, classic names such as the Texas League and the Southern League are no more. New league names have catchy monikers such as Triple-A East, High-A West, and Low-A Southeast. Contracted teams have either moved to independent ball, or have become college wood bat summer leagues.
As for Alabama players on Opening Day rosters, here’s a rundown, including team, new league name, and MLB affiliate (NOTE: updated for Wade LeBlanc signing and to correct Thomas Burrows’ and Will Carter’s assignments):
Triple-A
- Thomas Burrows – Gwinnett Stripers, Triple-A East (Atlanta Braves)
- Will Carter – Charlotte Knights, Triple-A East (Chicago White Sox) – on 7-Day Injured List
- Tommy Hunter – Syracuse Mets, Triple-A East (New York Mets)
- Wade LeBlanc – Nashville Sounds, Triple-A East (Milwaukee Brewers)
- Adam Morgan – Iowa Cubs, Triple-A East (Chicago Cubs)
- Mikey White – Las Vegas Aviators, Triple-A West (Oakland Athletics)
Double-A
- Kyle Overstreet – San Antonio Missions, Double-A Central (San Diego Padres)
- Chandler Taylor – Corpus Christi Hooks, Double-A Central (Houston Astros)
High-A
- Tyler Gentry – Quad Cities River Bandits, High-A Central (Kansas City Royals)
- Cobie Vance – Lansing Lugnuts, High-A Central (Oakland Athletics)
- Jake Walters – Beloit Snappers, High-A Central (Miami Marlins)
Low-A
- Brett Auerbach – San Jose Giants, Low-A West (San Francisco Giants)
Unassigned
- Casey Cobb (Boston Red Sox)
- Deacon Medders (San Diego Padres)
Unassigned players could be players at the MLB team’s alternate training site for taxi squad availability, players recovering from injuries, or players at extended spring training.
Please refer to our “Alabama Players in Minor League Baseball” page under the “Resources” tab for ongoing updates to minor league assignments.
