For most minor league players, Bradenton is the first stop of their journey to the majors. It’s also the first chance a lot of people get to see some of them play, making it an interesting place as projection and hearsay starts to become visual with your own set of eyes.
You hear the names of players that might make the move up to full season baseball, but until they do there are just the names.
Last year coming off the 2020 season shutdown, the Pittsburgh Pirates decided to get aggressive with the placement of some of their younger prospects, resulting in Bradenton being one of the youngest teams in the league.