The Pacific Coast League, one of two leagues to play at the Triple-A level, has officially withdrawn from the old structure of Minor League Baseball. The PCL’s departure comes on the eve of a deadline set by Major League Baseball on Friday for 120 minor league teams to move forward and remain an official MLB affiliate.
The PCL is the first league believed to have left MiLB, or as it is technically called, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues. On the one hand, such a departure had become inevitable, as the overall MiLB structure, as well as the individual leagues within the minors, are being dissolved and reorganized – even if some names are kept. (For example, both the terms “ Pacific Coast League ” and “ Minor League Baseball ” are expected to persist, but they refer to entirely new lineups.)
But the PCL’s decision caused waves in the minor league on Thursday-evening …