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  • Baseball America

    SMALL LEAGUE, HUGE TALENT

    Oct 13, 2021 6 minutes
    by KYLE GLASER

    Everything changed in 2021 for the league formerly known as the California League. The league’s name changed to Low-A West. The level changed from High-A to Low-A. The composition of the league changed, with Fresno replacing Lancaster as the league’s eighth team as part of MLB’s minor league restructuring.

    The rules of the league changed, too. Low-A West was used as a testing ground for experimental rule changes designed to increase the place of play, with 15-second pitch clocks instituted in June and pitchers limited to two pickoff attempts per plate appearance. With the rule changes in place, the league’s average time of game was 2 hours, 43 minutes, a reduction of 20 minutes compared to 2019.

    Against that backdrop, the talent in the league was as strong as ever. First-round picks Tyler Soderstrom, Robert Hassell and Zac Veen all starred in their professional debuts and a standout crop of international signees, led by Marco Luciano and Noelvi Marte, shined in their first tastes of full-season ball.

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