Things will look different for West Virginia Black Bears as they join new MLB Draft League
GRANVILLE, W.Va. (BVM) — Since 2015, the West Virginia Black Bears have been providing the Morgantown area with some of the best prospects coming up through the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system as the organization’s Class A short season affiliate. However, with the recent restructuring of the minor league baseball system, the Black Bears will now play a more expanded role in the Major League Baseball farm system, bringing more top-talent and excitement to the area.
On Nov. 30, the MLB announced the Black Bears would be one of six teams joining the newly formed MLB Draft League with league play beginning in 2021. The league, according to a press release, is expected to have some of the top draft-eligible players prior to the MLB Draft which will now take place in July during All-Star Week.
The league will work with Prep Baseball Report, a nationwide scouting service, to staff, operate, recruit and provide other functions and the schedule will feature a 68-game regular season, beginning in late May and ending in early August as well as an All-Star break centered around the draft.
The Black Bears, formerly of the New York-Penn League of the Class A short season system, will join other former league members the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, State College Spikes and Williamsport Crosscutters. The Trenton Thunder, previously of the Class AA Eastern League and the Frederick Keys, a Class A Advanced Season affiliate previously part of the Carolina League, will also join the teams.
According to a Black Bears’ press release, the MLB Draft League participants will also receive increased visibility to MLB scouts through both in-person observation and state-of-the-art scouting technology and PBR will use their media and technology platforms to promote the league and its players throughout the season.
Community members are already excited about the potential the new league will bring to not only the area, but also to the fans.
“The Town of Granville is excited to hear that the West Virginia Black Bears will be playing at Monongalia County Ball Park this spring,” Mayor of Granville Patricia Lewis said in a press release. “We have had a wonderful relationship with the Black Bears and they are an important part of the Granville community. The fans will be looking forward to them returning for the 21 baseball season.”
With plenty of talent coming to the Morgantown area in the near future, baseball fans will be excited to see how the new league will look, run and most importantly play like this summer. For the Black Bears, it will be a season unlike any they have had before, but hopefully the beginning of a long and fruitful marriage with MLB.
