High-A , officially Class High-A , formerly known as Class A-Advanced , and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A , and above Single-A . There are 30 teams classified at the High-A level, one for each team in Major League Baseball (MLB), organized into three leagues: the Midwest League , Northwest League , and South Atlantic League .
25-456: What is now Class High-A was established as Class A-Advanced in 1990 by subdividing the existing Class A . Class A had been the third-highest level in the minor leagues since 1936 (when it was below Double-A and Class A1) and a hierarchy of Triple-A and Double-A above Class A had been in place since 1946. In 1963, the three classes below Class A (Classes B, C, and D) were abolished, with leagues at those levels moved into Class A. In 1965, Class A
50-503: A meeting of the three signatories to the national agreement was called for May 5, 1884 to ratify the Eastern League's request. The Union Association of Base Ball Clubs stood in opposition to this agreement and was a bitter rival in the battle for organizational hegemony. The following teams were slated to play in the Eastern League as of January 1884. Monumental Club of Baltimore and Quickstep Club of Wilmington ended up playing in
75-513: A team located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania , but the request for admission was declined. On the second day of their gathering the assembled representatives voted to change the name of their league to the Eastern League of Professional Base Ball Clubs. According to one newspaper account of the day, the decision to change the league's name was related to a desire to avoid confusion with the rival Union Association of Base Ball Clubs. The formation of
100-547: The Midwest League , South Atlantic League , and Northwest League —the first two had previously operated at the Class A level, while the latter had previously operated at the Class A Short Season level. Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, MLB announced on March 16, 2022, that the leagues would revert to their prior names, effective with the 2022 season. In January 2023, it
125-882: The Union League of Professional Base Ball Clubs added four teams and dissolved to reform as the Eastern League. In 1887, the first Eastern League was absorbed into the International League . On January 4, 1884, representatives of the Union League of Professional Base Ball Clubs met in Philadelphia to discuss affairs of their organization in the coming year. Delegates were on hand representing ball clubs located in Baltimore , Richmond, Virginia , Wilmington, Delaware , and Reading, Pennsylvania . Observers were also present from established teams outside
150-573: The Western League (1947–1958), Central League (1948–1951) and Western International League (1952–1954). The Western International League became the Class B Northwest League in 1955, and the Western and Central loops folded. The hierarchy of Triple-A through Class D continued until Minor League Baseball restructured in 1963, at which time Classes B through D were abolished, with existing leagues at those levels reassigned into Class A, while
175-496: The Class A-Advanced level. These three leagues operated with Low-A naming for the 2021 season. Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, MLB announced on March 16, 2022, that the leagues would revert to their prior names, effective with the 2022 season. MLB also discontinued use of "Low-A" in favor of Single-A. On June 30, 2021, Minor League Baseball announced that
200-412: The Eastern League included a provision that batters must run after receiving three strikes or seven balls. The completion of five full innings was deemed sufficient for a complete game to have been played in the event of darkness or rain. In a change from past practice, teams were also required to remove "all obnoxious persons from the grounds in the space of fifteen minutes" under penalty of forfeiture of
225-788: The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues – the formal name of Minor League Baseball – was founded in 1901, Class A remained the highest level, restricted to leagues with cities that had an aggregate population of over a million people. Entering the 1902 season, the only Class A leagues were the Eastern League and the Western League —both leagues had eight teams, in cities such as Toronto, Ontario ; Buffalo, New York ; Worcester, Massachusetts ; Omaha, Nebraska ; Denver, Colorado ; and Peoria, Illinois . Leagues operating within less populated areas were classified as Class B, Class C, or Class D. Class A remained
250-643: The Single-A level, one for each team in Major League Baseball (MLB), organized into three leagues: the California League , Carolina League , and Florida State League . Class A was originally the highest level of Minor League Baseball , beginning with the earliest classifications, established circa 1890. Teams within leagues at this level had their players' contracts protected and the players were subject to reserve clauses . When
275-680: The South Atlantic League (renamed as the Southern League ) and Eastern League ascended to Double-A. In 1965, a Class A Short Season designation was created, for teams playing June–September schedules, primarily meant for new players acquired via the amateur draft . The Class A-Advanced designation was established in 1990, between Class A and Double-A in the minor league hierarchy. Class A and Class A Short Season were considered independent classifications, with Class A having "Full-Season" and Advanced sub-classifications, per
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#1732780414989300-480: The best winning percentage of each half. In the event the same club wins both halves, the club with the next-best winning percentage in the second half will advance. However, with only six clubs in the Northwest League, the format for the postseason will consist of a single, best-of-five championship series. The two playoff participants will be decided based on the best winning percentage of each half. In
325-600: The event the same club wins both halves, the club with the next-best winning percentage in the second half will advance. In the event of any ties, the following tiebreakers will apply in the order below: Class A (baseball) Single-A , formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A , is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A , Double-A , and High-A . There are 30 teams classified at
350-407: The game. The inaugural season was to run from May 1 to October 1, 1884. Each team in the association to play a 98-game season in which every team was to play each other a total of 14 times during the year. Four regular and two substitute umpires were to be provided by the league, sufficient to handle the 8-team league's possible four daily match ups; in the event of absence of an official umpire,
375-664: The league, including the Philadelphia Athletics , the New York Metropolitans , and the Buffalo Bisons . New clubs were admitted to the league for the coming year located in Newark and Trenton , New Jersey and Harrisburg and Allentown , Pennsylvania , bringing the total number of teams for the Eastern League at the time of its founding to eight. A bid was made by a representative of
400-622: The minor leagues, eliminating Class A Short Season and discontinuing the use of all historical league names within Minor League Baseball. The existing Class A-Advanced leagues were moved to the Class A level and operated under generic names ( Low-A West , Low-A East , and Low-A Southeast ) during 2021. The Class A-Advanced level was officially renamed as "Class High-A", and also operated three leagues during 2021 with generic names: High-A Central , High-A East , and High-A West . These three High-A leagues had historically been known as
425-497: The new league effectively put an end not only to the Union League from whence it sprung, but also tolled the death knell of the short-lived Inter-State Professional Base-Ball Association, which had included teams from Allentown, Harrisburg, Reading, Trenton, and Wilmington. The Eastern League played baseball according to the rules of the American Association , with only minor modifications. Rules changes unique to
450-569: The rules governing baseball's minor leagues. The overall hierarchy was: Entering the 2020 minor league season (which was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic ), Class A consisted of the Midwest League and South Atlantic League (a newer "Sally League", which been formed in 1963 as the Western Carolinas League ). Prior to the 2021 season, MLB restructured the minor leagues, eliminating Class A Short Season and discontinuing
475-660: The top classification until Class AA was established in 1912, then remained the second-highest classification until Class A1 was established in 1936. In 1946, the top two levels changed from being Class AA and Class A1 to being Class AAA and AA, with Class A remaining the third-highest level, above Classes B through D. Class A in 1946 consisted of the Eastern League and the original South Atlantic League (or "Sally League"), with teams in communities such as Vancouver, British Columbia ; Omaha, Nebraska ; Colorado Springs, Colorado ; Charlotte, North Carolina ; Scranton, Pennsylvania ; and Allentown, Pennsylvania . Class A soon included
500-548: The top two teams in each league (based on full-season winning percentage , and regardless of division) would meet in a best-of-five postseason series to determine league champions. Eastern League (1884) The Eastern League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (1884–1887), was a professional baseball association of teams in the Northeastern United States . The league was founded in January 1884 when
525-512: The use of all historical league names within Minor League Baseball. The Midwest League and South Atlantic League were reclassified as "High-A" leagues, and operated during 2021 as High-A Central and High-A East , respectively. They were replaced at the Class A level by three "Low-A" leagues: Low-A West , Low-A East , and Low-A Southeast . These leagues had historically been known as the California League , Carolina League , and Florida State League , respectively, and had previously operated at
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#1732780414989550-446: The visiting team was to name the replacement, subject to that individual's not being associated with the visiting club himself. The Eastern League was to be governed by a 7-member executive, consisting of a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, and a four-member board of directors, all to be elected at the annual meeting of teams. President of the league in 1884 was W.C. Seddon of Richmond, Virginia . The Eastern League
575-479: Was announced that Veronica Gajownik had been hired to manage the Hillsboro Hops , making her the first woman to manage a High-A team. The format for the 2024 postseason at High-A will consist of four teams per league in a best-of-three division series, followed by a best-of-three championship series. The four playoff participants per league will be the winners of each division from both halves based on
600-489: Was subdivided for the first time, with the establishment of lower-level Class A Short Season leagues. The 1965 hierarchy was in place for 25 years, until Class A was further subdivided in 1990, with Class A-Advanced becoming the third-highest classification: Three Class A leagues received the Class A-Advanced designation: the California League , Carolina League , and Florida State League . This arrangement continued until 2021, when Major League Baseball (MLB) restructured
625-691: Was to be governed by annual meetings to be held each year in Philadelphia on the second Wednesday of January. Annual dues were $ 100 per club, with $ 500 of this amount going to pay the salary of the league's permanent Secretary. The Eastern League was anxious to become signatories to the so-called tripartite national agreement between the National League, American Association, and the Northwestern League which governed mutual respect of player contracts and other matters. To this end,
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