Major League Baseball to Provide Housing for Minor Leaguers

The average salary of a Triple-A Minor League Baseball player prior to the 2021 season was $15,000 per year. During the six month season, players are expected to play 144 games with only one day off per week, travel across their specified region each series, and take part in intensive training programs. Yet, there are few benefits as a player in the minor league. Players are required to pay for all their basic necessities; including food, water, clothing, and insurance. And the most alarming part, this is the highest average pay of all minor league levels.

TD Bank Ballpark, Somerset Patriots home stadium/via Ballpark Digest

On Sunday, October 17, 2021, Minor League Baseball

took a huge stride in ensuring basic rights and livable conditions for players, as teams will be required to provide housing beginning in 2022. This means that six months out of the year, players will no longer be required to pay for their own lodgings. To put it in context, the average rent in Double-A Somerset Patriots hometown Bridgewater, NJ is $1,675 per month. The minimum salary for a Double-A player

is $14,400 per year. Over six months, it would cost players $10,050, or almost 70% of their yearly salary, just to pay for shelter. Under the new agreement, these payments are no longer required for players who are now more able to use their salary to pay for the other aforementioned necessities.

Over the past few years, Minor League Baseball has come under heavy fire for poor workers’ compensation. Calls for action have largely stemmed following the restructuring after the 2020 season which saw 43 Minor League teams lose affiliate status, causing hundreds of lower level players to lose their jobs. In order to compensate players, the league increased player salaries between 38% and 72% for the 2021 season.

So, what still remains to be done? As of the 2021 season, the minimum salary for a Triple-A player is $16,800 per year. In the state of New Jersey, this comes to $14,854 after tax, only $2,094 over the national poverty line. To put it in perspective, Triple-A minimums are the highest of the four levels of MiLB, which means the majority of Minor League Baseball players can be considered impoverished. Players only receive compensation during the playing season, so between November and April, players must survive on six months worth of compensation. Additionally, most minor leaguers retire before they turn 30, at which point they either attempt to join independent baseball leagues or try their hand in the workforce. The underlying issue here is that approximately 32% of minor league players sign out of high school, preventing them from pursuing a valuable career afterwards.

Minor League Baseball players are grossly underpaid. The lack of year-round compensation and the general absence of post-baseball financial security shows a lot needs to be done to ensure that players receive proper living conditions. With more developments, like the new housing agreement, such an end may be in sight.