Mahoning Valley officially no longer an Indians affiliate

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers and others from the New York-Penn League will form the MLB Draft League in 2021.

Along with the State College Spikers, West Virginia Black Bears, Williamsport Crosscutters, Trenton Thunder (formerly of the Double-A Eastern League), and an unnamed sixth team, the Scrappers will be forming a new affiliated league for draft-eligible players to be visible for scouts one last time before the MLB draft.

According to a press release put out by the Scrappers, MLB Draft League participants will receive “unprecedented visibility to MLB club scouts through both in-person observation and state-of-the-art scouting technology along with educational programming designed to prepare them for careers as professional athletes.” The league will feature a 68-game schedule and an All-Star break centered around the draft.

Teams within the league will remain affiliated with Major League Baseball in cooperation with Prep Baseball Report, a prospect publication which has been around and covering the minor leagues since 2005.

The Scrappers served as the Indians’ short-season affiliate since their inception in 1999, with six division titles and one league title in 2004. As of now, the Indians’ farm system sits at seven teams with the loss of the Scrappers and one of their affiliated Arizona Rookie League teams.

• Columbus Clippers (Triple-A)
• Akron RubberDucks (Double-A)
• Lynchburg Hillcats (High-A)
• Lake County Captains (Single-A)
• Arizona League Indians (Rookie)
• DSL Indians 1 (Rookie)
• DSL Indians 2 (Rookie)