![EARNING POWER](https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1716204865/articles/gOKVU6inr1716978952320/EARNING-POWER.jpg)
When Major League Baseball began operating the minor leagues in 2021, it ushered in a new era for players.
Even before MLB and the newly-formed minor league division of the MLB Players Association reached a deal on the first-ever minor league collective bargaining agreement in 2023, pay and standards of living had improved.
Once the CBA arrived, the transformation was complete. Players who remained after the minor leagues were scaled back and
reorganized are now experiencing the best working conditions any minor league player has ever experienced.
Food? Two meals a day are now provided, and nutritious snacks and protein powder are also available whenever players are at the ballpark.
Weight rooms? Upgraded.
Batting cages? Covered and upgraded.
Stadium lighting? Improved. Salaries? Year-round, and at the highest level in minor league history.
This does not mean that minor league players are living the easy life. It’s a pressure-packed job in which success or failure is apparent to thousands of fans every time they step on a field. The pressure to perform is even more intense now, because stricter player limits require players to justify their roster spots like never before.
For players who didn’t receive a large signing bonus, salaries are still modest, but even those are dramatically improved from where they were five years ago. And players no longer face the decisions that tormented them in past decades.
Today, players can focus on playing their best, instead of figuring out whether they can afford to keep playing.
No longer do players have to rely on a spouse’s salary, family help or an offseason job to figure out how to earn enough in the offseason to support their main job: playing professional baseball.
Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Baseball America.
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Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6245/1812351/5ccc21wPV1724749104018/crp_Baseball-sports-Aaron-Judge-Oneil-Cruz-MLB-Best-Tools-voting-James-Wood-baseball-season-MLB-pitch-US-baseball-league-Baseball-America.jpg)
Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
![ROAD BLOCK?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6245/1812351/QGqln-pKY1724750341058/ROAD-BLOCK.jpg)
ROAD BLOCK?
Scholarship expansion puts mid-majors at a major disadvantage on the road to Omaha
![ROYALS REVIVAL](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6245/1812351/RZfFizRBO1724749855880/ROYALS-REVIVAL.jpg)
ROYALS REVIVAL
A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has Kansas City ready to rebound
![SUMMER STANDOUTS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6245/1812351/axlEvfmHx1724749483130/SUMMER-STANDOUTS.jpg)
SUMMER STANDOUTS
The top prospects in summer college leagues are poised to impact the 2025 draft
![FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6245/1812351/hratFVvkK1724749227440/FLORIDA-COMPLEX-LEAGUE-TOP-10.jpg)
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Last year’s Florida Complex League prospect crop has been beset by lengthy injuries to many of its top players, including Yankees pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange, Mets infielder Marco Vargas and Red Sox catcher Johanfran Garcia.
![IN WITH THE NEW](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6245/1812351/wH49QkEzM1724748789122/IN-WITH-THE-NEW.jpg)
IN WITH THE NEW
The 2024 draft is in the books. The trade deadline is history.
![WALCOTT BLASTS OFF](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6245/1812351/94DhqGX7p1724748613702/WALCOTT-BLASTS-OFF.jpg)
WALCOTT BLASTS OFF
It took some time for Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott to find his footing at High-A Hickory.
![A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6245/1812351/D0u8Pnaiy1724748443650/A-RECORD-NIGHT-FOR-COLLEGIANS.jpg)
A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS
Four key takeaways from the 2024 draft
![K.C.MASTERPIECE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6245/1812351/C17CIOGWn1724747820314/KCMASTERPIECE.jpg)
K.C.MASTERPIECE
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. wins games for the Royals with his bat, glove, speed and baseball IQ. He might be the most tooled-up player in the game.
![HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6245/1705476/0Im5_7R-N1716983186325/HOW-THE-MAJORS-HAVE-CHANGED-FOR-YOUNG-PLAYERS.jpg)
HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS
When negotiating the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MLB Players Association prioritized the earning power of young major league players, especially young stars.