Staggered Minor League Season Leading To Exciting Prospect Promotions

Image credit: Evan Carter (Tom Priddy/Four Seam Images)

The staggered end dates of each minor league classification have led to some of the game’s most exciting prospects getting tastes of the upper levels a little bit earlier than might have otherwise been anticipated. 

On Monday, the Brewers and Rangers announced that their top prospects, outfielders Jackson Chourio and Evan Carter, respectively, were being bumped from High-A to Double-A for the final week of that level’s regular season.

A day later, the Yankees announced the same move for two of the better prospects from their High-A Hudson Valley club, outfielder Jasson Dominguez and infielder Tyler Hardman. 

All three of those High-A teams—Wisconsin in the Midwest League for Chourio, and Hickory and Hudson Valley in the South Atlantic League, respectively, for Carter and the Yankees’ duo—missed their league’s playoffs. Thus, their parent clubs were left with a choice: Send the prospects home for the offseason or to instructional league, or bump them for a week at their likely home for the 2023 season.

Dominguez and Hardman will get a bit more time at Double-A than Chourio, given that Somerset made the Eastern League playoffs and will have at least one more series beyond its final six games in the regular season. Carter could be in the same boat, too, since the Rangers’ Double-A Frisco club has a bead on the second playoff spot in the Texas League’s South Division.

If the Brewers really want to get as many games as possible under Chourio’s belt before the offseason, they could opt to send him to Triple-A Nashville for the close of its regular season, which lasts until Sept. 28. The Sounds are also in the lead in the International League’s West Division, which could mean up to two more games to determine the Triple-A champion.

No matter when the season ends for Chourio, Carter, Dominguez and Hardman, one thing is clear: The new schedule format is likely to lead to the game’s top talents advancing quicker than ever.