Pitcher Trevor Hildenberger called life in the minor leagues "unsustainable" prior to farm system players joining MLBPA last September.
"If you didn't sign for $50,000 or more, life in the minor leagues was unsustainable," Hildenberger told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
"It was just a ticking clock. Either you couldn't afford to pursue this anymore or you made it to the big leagues."
Thousands of minor leaguers joined MLBPA, marking the long-awaited and sorely needed unionization of minor league baseball, which was rife with players struggling to survive on a daily basis with low wages, poor living conditions, food insecurity concerns and more as they strived to make the majors.