# Class A Short Season

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**Class A Short Season** (officially **Short-Season A**)[1][a] was a level of play in [Minor League Baseball](/source/Minor_League_Baseball) in the United States[b] from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below [Triple-A](/source/Triple-A_(baseball)), [Double-A](/source/Double-A_(baseball)), [Class A-Advanced](/source/Class_A-Advanced) (created in 1990), and [Class A](/source/Class_A_(baseball)). Teams in Class A Short Season played about 75 to 80 games per season, compared to the 130- to 140-game seasons of most professional baseball minor leagues.

As part of the 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues, Class A Short Season was eliminated along with its two leagues, the [New York–Penn League](/source/New_York%E2%80%93Penn_League) and [Northwest League](/source/Northwest_League).[2][3] Nine of the 22 active short-season teams were organized into new leagues at the [High-A](/source/High-A) classification level.

## History

In 1965, the [Northern League](/source/Northern_League_(baseball,_1902%E2%80%9371)) of [Class A](/source/Class_A_(baseball)) started a 66-game season in late June,[4][5] a departure from the league's previous "full season" schedules of about 120 games.[6] In December 1965, the [Northwest League](/source/Northwest_League) announced that it would play an 85-game schedule starting in late June 1966, limiting teams to no more than two veteran players on their 25-man rosters.[7]

After playing the 1966 season with two short-season leagues,[8][c] the [New York–Penn League](/source/New_York%E2%80%93Penn_League) also moved to a short-season format, playing an 80-game schedule beginning in late June 1967.[9][10] The three leagues continued to play short seasons through 1971.[11] In February 1972, the Northern League folded, due to reduced support from both fans and [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) (MLB) teams,[12] leaving the New York–Penn League and Northwest League as the only two short-season leagues.[13] Both leagues operated annually through 2019.[14][d]

Class A Short Season was originally the fourth-highest level in the minor leagues; with the addition of [Class A-Advanced](/source/Class_A-Advanced) in 1990, Class A Short Season became fifth in the overall hierarchy:

1. Triple-A
1. Double-A
1. Class A-Advanced
1. Class A ("Full-Season A")
1. Class A Short Season ("Short-Season A")
1. [Rookie league](/source/Rookie_league)

Before the 2021 season, MLB restructured the minor leagues, temporarily discontinuing the use of historical league names within Minor League Baseball and permanently eliminating Class A Short Season.[15] This effectively contracted Class A from having three levels to two, with Class A-Advanced and full-season Class A continuing on as "[High-A](/source/High-A)" and "[Low-A](/source/Low-A)", respectively.

### Dispersal of Class A Short Season teams

When the classification was ended before the 2021 season, there were two leagues with a total of 22 active teams.

Of the 14 active teams in the New York–Penn League:

- four joined the [MLB Draft League](/source/MLB_Draft_League): [Mahoning Valley Scrappers](/source/Mahoning_Valley_Scrappers), [State College Spikes](/source/State_College_Spikes), [West Virginia Black Bears](/source/West_Virginia_Black_Bears), and [Williamsport Crosscutters](/source/Williamsport_Crosscutters)
- three joined the [High-A East](/source/High-A_East) league: [Aberdeen IronBirds](/source/Aberdeen_IronBirds), [Brooklyn Cyclones](/source/Brooklyn_Cyclones), and [Hudson Valley Renegades](/source/Hudson_Valley_Renegades)
- two joined the [Futures Collegiate Baseball League](/source/Futures_Collegiate_Baseball_League): [Vermont Lake Monsters](/source/Vermont_Lake_Monsters) and [Norwich Sea Unicorns](/source/Norwich_Sea_Unicorns)
- two joined the [Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League](/source/Perfect_Game_Collegiate_Baseball_League): [Batavia Muckdogs](/source/Batavia_Muckdogs) and [Auburn Doubledays](/source/Auburn_Doubledays)
- two folded: [Staten Island Yankees](/source/Staten_Island_Yankees), [Lowell Spinners](/source/Lowell_Spinners)
- one joined the [independent](/source/Independent_baseball_league) [Frontier League](/source/Frontier_League): [Tri-City ValleyCats](/source/Tri-City_ValleyCats)

Of the eight active teams in the Northwest League:

- six joined the [High-A West](/source/High-A_West) league: [Eugene Emeralds](/source/Eugene_Emeralds), [Everett AquaSox](/source/Everett_AquaSox), [Hillsboro Hops](/source/Hillsboro_Hops), [Spokane Indians](/source/Spokane_Indians), [Tri-City Dust Devils](/source/Tri-City_Dust_Devils), and [Vancouver Canadians](/source/Vancouver_Canadians)
- one joined the independent [Pioneer League](/source/Pioneer_League_(baseball)): [Boise Hawks](/source/Boise_Hawks)
- one joined the amateur [Mavericks Independent Baseball League](/source/Mavericks_Independent_Baseball_League): [Salem-Keizer Volcanoes](/source/Salem-Keizer_Volcanoes)

## Purpose

Teams in short-season leagues played schedules of about 75 to 80 games, starting in mid-June and ending in early September, with only a few off-days during the season. The late start of the season was designed to allow [college baseball](/source/College_baseball) players to complete their college seasons in the spring, be selected in the [MLB draft](/source/Major_League_Baseball_draft) in June, signed, and then be immediately placed in a competitive league. Players in short-season leagues were a mixture of newly signed draftees who were considered more advanced than other draftees, and second-year pros who were not yet ready, or for whom there was not space, to move up the minor league hierarchy. Second-year pros were often assigned to "extended [spring training](/source/Spring_training)" in Florida or Arizona during April and May, before reporting to their short-season leagues.

## Notes

1. The classification is sometimes abbreviated "A (Short)" or "Class A-", with the latter used only as a written abbreviation (it is not called "Class A-minus").

1. Some teams in Canada also played at this level, the last of which was the [Vancouver Canadians](/source/Vancouver_Canadians).

1. 1966 is the first season for which [Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com) differentiates full-season and short-season Class A leagues.

1. The 2020 minor league season was cancelled due to [impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports](/source/Impact_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_on_sports).[16]

## References

1. [*The Official Professional Baseball Rules Book*](https://registration.mlbpa.org/pdf/MajorLeagueRules.pdf). [New York City](/source/New_York_City): Office of the Commissioner of Baseball. 2019. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190731201536/https://registration.mlbpa.org/pdf/MajorLeagueRules.pdf) July 31, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. – via [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. Lacques, Gabe (December 9, 2020). ["Major League Baseball issues invites for minor-league affiliates; here are teams that didn't make cut"](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2020/12/09/mlb-announces-minor-league-affiliate-invites-some-teams-miss-cut/3805929001/). *[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)*. Retrieved December 10, 2020.

1. Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). ["MLB announces new Minors teams, leagues"](https://www.mlb.com/news/new-minor-league-baseball-structure). *MiLB.com*. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

1. ["1965 Northern League"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=01072e42). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. Retrieved April 30, 2021.

1. ["Season Shortened"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76807904/season-shortened/). *[La Crosse Tribune](/source/La_Crosse_Tribune)*. [AP](/source/Associated_Press). June 14, 1965. p. 14. Retrieved April 30, 2021. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["1964 Northern League"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=66b1fe59). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. Retrieved April 30, 2021.

1. ["NWL Will Work With Four Clubs"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76808200/nwl-will-work-with-four-clubs/). *[Statesman Journal](/source/Statesman_Journal)*. [AP](/source/Associated_Press). December 22, 1965. p. 14. Retrieved April 30, 2021. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["1966 Register League Encyclopedia"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?group=&year=1966). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. Retrieved April 30, 2021.

1. ["New York-Penn League To Open Play June 23"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76809297/new-york-penn-league-to-open-play-june-2/). *[The Mercury](/source/The_Mercury_(Pennsylvania))*. [AP](/source/Associated_Press). May 8, 1967. p. 26. Retrieved April 30, 2021. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["1967 Register League Encyclopedia"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?group=&year=1967). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. Retrieved April 30, 2021.

1. ["1971 Register League Encyclopedia"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?group=&year=1971). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. Retrieved April 30, 2021.

1. ["Big League Help Gone; Loop Folds"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76809856/big-league-help-gone-loop-folds/). *[The Spokesman-Review](/source/The_Spokesman-Review)*. [AP](/source/Associated_Press). February 5, 1972. p. 7. Retrieved April 30, 2021. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["1972 Register League Encyclopedia"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?group=&year=1972). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. Retrieved April 30, 2021.

1. ["2019 Register League Encyclopedia"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?group=&year=2019). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. Retrieved April 30, 2021.

1. Creamer, Chris (February 15, 2021). ["A Breakdown of Minor League Baseball's Total Realignment for 2021"](https://news.sportslogos.net/2021/02/15/a-breakdown-of-minor-league-baseballs-total-realignment-for-2021/baseball/). *sportslogos.net*. Retrieved April 16, 2021.

1. Adler, David (30 June 2020). ["2020 Minor League Baseball season canceled"](https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-canceled). *[MLB.com](/source/MLB.com)*. Retrieved 30 June 2020.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Class A Short Season](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_A_Short_Season) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_A_Short_Season?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.