Starting on Thursday, March 14, MLB Network will be be broadcasting a series of games called MLB Spring Breakout. These games will feature two MLB teams playing against one another, with each team made up of the organization’s top prospects. This is the first time Major League Baseball has conducted such an event and hopefully we will get to see more of this in the future. The full list of games can be found by clicking here.
Spring Breakout is similar to the Arizona Fall League, which showcases six prospects per organization, making up six teams, and playing a six week season in October and November. This is another great way for MLB to showcase their future stars and get fans excited about the next generation of players. Guys from the NBA and the NFL are tracked long before they make their professional debuts thanks to the popularity of college basketball and college football. It also helps that these athletes play right away once they are drafted. That’s not the case in baseball where a high schooler could be taken in the first round but not debut until three years later. Events like the Arizona Fall League and now the Spring Breakout allow fans to not have to wait as long to see top prospects play meaningful games.
MLB is starting out strong on the first game of the series as the previous two #1 overall picks will face off against one another. Paul Skenes, last year’s top selection will have his Pittsburgh Pirates take on Jackson Holliday and the Baltimore Orioles. In order for this to be considered a success, both players must be featured for a large segment of the game. Skenes needs to pitch at least two innings while Holiday needs to bat at least twice. Every game will be shown on one platform or another with the Pirates-Orioles being broadcast on MLB Network at 7:05 PM EST.
I hope Spring Breakout becomes the Spring equivalent to the AFL. The more we see these future starts, the less we will want to wait to catch them during the course of the regular season.
Threeunassisted 