Proximity and Minor League Baseball

Abstract

Proximity matters to Major League Baseball teams concerned about player development. Optimal player movement between minor league baseball teams can lead to maximizing player development opportunities, so proximity between levels of a Major League organization matters in building the best possible roster of Major League players. Perhaps more than any other matter that arises in the business of baseball, proximity to other professional baseball teams is a concern that has uniquely shaped professional baseball in North America. It is this unique component in how professional baseball is organized that suggests a proximity-based approach to studying the economics of minor league baseball.