Quote from WindsorUK on October 6, 2019, 10:57 am

I'm sure I asked this before so please forgive me but what is the exact order of hierarchy in the Padres system?

Obviously SD is at the MLB level, El Paso AAA, Amarillo AA, Lake Elsinore High A, Fort Wayne Low A, Tri City....?, AZL....? Any others that I missed?

Quote from fenn68 on October 6, 2019, 11:19 am

Quote from WindsorUK on October 6, 2019, 10:57 am

I'm sure I asked this before so please forgive me but what is the exact order of hierarchy in the Padres system?

Obviously SD is at the MLB level, El Paso AAA, Amarillo AA, Lake Elsinore High A, Fort Wayne Low A, Tri City....?, AZL....? Any others that I missed?

You got it ... AZL has 2 teams that are somewhat interchangeable with the level / quality of prospects and generally speaking cover the HS draft picks and low round college draft picks the year they are selected, the stateside moves from the Dominican Summer League (DSL is the other part of the system), and some holdovers from the previous year who were injured or need some extended work. The Tri-Cities short season is a step up for the promotions from the previous year AZL but not FW ready and the high drafted college types that year. Not absolutes on those players assigned but a general rule.

Quote from BoosterSD on October 6, 2019, 3:01 pm

Quote from WindsorUK on October 6, 2019, 10:57 am

I'm sure I asked this before so please forgive me but what is the exact order of hierarchy in the Padres system?

Obviously SD is at the MLB level, El Paso AAA, Amarillo AA, Lake Elsinore High A, Fort Wayne Low A, Tri City....?, AZL....? Any others that I missed?

The only one that you missed was the AFL, Arizona Fall League. Consider this an somewhat of an fall All Star league. All teams send some contingent of high end players to AZ for about 6 weeks that are usually close to making the MLs.

The Az Rookie League can be fun games to go to, there is no cost for entry and they play at the Spring Training facilities. Ive been to a few, but they do take place in the dead of summer around 7pm and it is still very warm around that time, usually about 105-112.

Quote from WindsorUK on October 7, 2019, 2:06 am

Gentlemen, thank you for the information.

So, are the AZL, AFL, and Tri City considered "pro ball"? Obviously, guys are being paid to be everywhere else but do they get paid to be in these places? I guess anytime you get paid, you're considered a pro?

And for the life of me, I have NO idea where this Tri City is?????? Oregon? Arizona? Kansas? California? Outer Hebrides?

Quote from LynchMob on October 7, 2019, 7:13 am

Yes, all are "pro" ... in other words, players for Padres farm teams in AZL and on the Tri City Dust Devils and that get sent to play for Peoria Javelinas in the AFL have been signed to contracts with the San Diego Padres ...

The Tri-Cities are three closely tied cities – Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland – located at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia Rivers in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington. Each city borders one-another, making the Tri-Cities seem like one uninterrupted mid-sized city. Wikipedia ... http://www.visittri-cities.com/

Quote from WindsorUK on October 7, 2019, 7:58 am

Cheers LynchMob!

Quote from Brian Connelly on October 7, 2019, 9:16 am

Good clarifications.   I think of the entire system hierarchy as:  PADRES, El Paso (AAA), Amarillo (AA), Lake Elsinore (A+ or "High" A), Fort Wayne (A, sometimes  referred to as "Low" A), Tri-Cities (Short season; Northwest League=NWL), Arizona League (Rookie Short Season=AZL; 2 "equal" teams), Dominican Summer League (DSL; 80-90% International players signed the prior year:  i.e. 2019 team was mostly 2018 signees), and finally the current year International signings who we all recently found out participate in the informal but awesomely named 'Tricky' League--basically a developmental league.

So Mena & Preciado may be awesome, but they are 16 and "only" 9 levels below MLB!   Of course, they might skip some levels along the way, but Luis Almanzar signed for 4 MM in 2016 as #8 overall Intl prospect four years later played mostly in AZL.

Finally worth noting the developmental leagues:  Arizona Fall League is an Elite "Minors All Stars" League; well over half who play here end up in MLB.  Only 6 teams, so each team fed 5-8 players by 5 MLB teams.  Keep in mind most of the best SP prospects have hit innings limits & don't participate in AFL (i.e. Gore, Patino).  Some elite RP prospects, but more "swing" RP types who can go a few innings.  Do get guys who missed time with Injury like Jake Nix & Reggie Lawson.   It's typically guys at AA, but some AAA, some A+.

Fall Instructional League "(Instructs") that just took place is typically lower level guys topping out at A+.  Taylor Trammell participated mostly because he was new to system (and he played in AFL last year); exception.

Then there's all the Winter Ball Leagues like Dominican, Venezuela, Australian, etc... these vary in quality with Dominican being a very competitive league featurinng mix of current & former MLB players and high level prospects; maybe an overall AAA quality, but intense focus on winning, not development.   Australian probably closer to A+/A in overall quality, etc...