The Dodgers Need to Get Out of the PCL

The Pacific Coast League (PCL) has historically been one of the most challenging leagues for pitchers in professional baseball. Here’s why — and how it affects both pitchers and hitters:

Why the PCL is Tough on Pitchers:

1. High Elevation & Dry Air
   Many PCL cities (like Albuquerque, Reno, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and El Paso) are at high altitudes with thin, dry air. That means:
   • Baseballs travel farther.
   • Breaking balls break less, making them easier to hit.
2. Hitter-Friendly Ballparks
   • Several PCL stadiums have short fences, fast infields, or windy conditions that favor offense.
   • Some fields (like in Las Vegas and Albuquerque) are notoriously brutal for pitchers.
3. Travel Fatigue & Altitude Changes
   • The PCL has long travel distances across time zones, and teams often play in varying altitudes from series to series, tough on pitcher recovery and command.

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Effects on ERA & Pitching Evaluation:

• ERA Inflation:
  Pitchers’ ERAs in the PCL are often significantly higher than they’d be in more neutral environments.
• Misleading Performance:
  Scouts and front offices often discount ERAs and HR rates in the PCL, focusing instead on:
  • Strikeout and walk rates
  • Velocity and spin rates
  • Command and pitch quality via scouting or analytics (like Trackman data)

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How It Affects Hitters:

• Inflated Numbers:
  Hitters often post eye-popping stats in the PCL — especially power numbers — that don’t always translate to MLB.
• “PCL Mirage” Risk:
  Some players look like sluggers in Triple-A PCL but struggle against MLB pitching once in neutral or pitcher-friendly parks.
• Dodgers prospects like Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone were often evaluated more on stuff than results at OKC.

The Dodgers no longer own the OKC Comets, and I believe that the advantages of being in OKC (closer to LA in case of an emergency call-up) are greatly outweighed by the fact that OKC messes up both hitters and pitchers: You can’t trust your eyes in the PCL, and you certainly can’t trust the statistics.

Conversely, the Texas League has historically been known as a pitcher-friendly league, especially compared to the Pacific Coast League. Here’s why:

Why the Texas League Favors Pitchers:

1. Lower Elevation & Humidity
   • Most Texas League cities (e.g., Frisco, San Antonio, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Midland) are at low to moderate elevations.
   • Humid conditions and thicker air in places like Corpus Christi and San Antonio can suppress home runs.
2. Ballpark Dimensions
   • Some Texas League parks (like San Antonio’s Nelson Wolff Stadium) have larger outfields, which help keep the ball in play.
3. Climate Factors
   • Hot and humid air can reduce ball carry.
   • In contrast to the dry, high-altitude parks of the PCL, the Texas League is often neutral to pitcher-favorable in its run environment.

Pitcher Development in the Texas League

• MLB teams sometimes use Double-A (including the Texas League) to test pitcher command and polish, because results are considered more stable and predictive than in Triple-A environments like the PCL.
• Scouts and front offices often treat Double-A performance as more telling than Triple-A, especially for pitchers.

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Hitter Impact

• Hitters often post more modest numbers in the Texas League, especially compared to the PCL.
• Power numbers may be depressed, so good performance by a hitter here can be more impressive than it looks on paper.

The Texas League is generally pitcher-friendly. If a pitcher thrives there, it’s often seen as more meaningful than gaudy PCL stats, and hitters who rake in the Texas League may be even better than their numbers suggest. Even Ray Charles can see this.

Minor League Teams have Player Development Licenses (PDLs) with MLB teams which ruin through the 2030 season, such as the following teams:

• Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – Miami Marlins
• Nashville Sounds – Milwaukee Brewers
• Rochester Red Wings – Washington Nationals
• Worcester Red Sox – Boston Red Sox
• St. Paul Saints – Minnesota Twins

The Dodgers have no chance of reaching a PDL License with any of those teams. Several teams maintain longstanding affiliations under older 2‑ or 4‑year Player Development Contracts (PDCs), which appear to auto-renew or are undisclosed publicly:

• Buffalo Bisons – Toronto Blue Jays
• Charlotte Knights – Chicago White Sox
• Durham Bulls – Tampa Bay Rays
• Lehigh Valley IronPigs – Philadelphia Phillies
• Norfolk Tides – Baltimore Orioles
• Scranton/WB RailRiders – New York Yankees
• Syracuse Mets – New York Mets

There’s a possibility that the Charlotte Knights might want to shed the White Sox, but it’s hard to know. Then, some teams have long-standing affiliations under older PDCs:

• Columbus Clippers – Cleveland Guardians
• Gwinnett Stripers – Atlanta Braves
• Indianapolis Indians – Pittsburgh Pirates
• Iowa Cubs – Chicago Cubs
• Louisville Bats – Cincinnati Reds
• Memphis Redbirds – St. Louis Cardinals
• Omaha Storm Chasers – Kansas City Royals
• Toledo Mud Hens – Detroit Tigers

Out of all those teams, I think there’s a slight possibility of flipping a team from its existing club to the Dodgers, and I think it’s Indianapolis (I live in a suburb of Indy). Yes, I live there, and you are going to say that is wishful thinking on my part… and that may be true, but here is one fact that makes it possible: The Indianapolis Indians are owned by Indians, Inc., a publicly owned corporation. This ownership structure came about in 1955 when local civic leaders organized a public stock sale to save the team after the Cleveland Indians franchise experienced financial losses. If the Dodgers were to offer some major financial incentive or even buy the team from the city, this could happen. This would do nothing but enhance Dodger Player Development!

The advantages are apparent. The Dodgers could move top prospects, both pitchers and hitters, to AAA without fear that they would wreck a career, and I would be in the pressbox every game reporting the facts to you. The Dodgers need to do this! There are direct flights from Indy to LA – It’s a quick three-hour trip. Logistically, many minor league teams are tied to their MLB clubs geographically (example: Mets & Syracuse Mets), but the Dodgers are not tied to any team in the PCL. Just get out or the PCL and play in a league where the results are not skewed.

P.S. The Seven-Game skid continues. The offense woke up, but unfortunately, Dustin May continued to lose focus. His ERA now sits south of 5.00. He will be removed from the rotation and maybe the team. He’s a classic example of why the Dodgers need to be out of the PCL! Michael Conforto made a tremendous throw and broke the back of Snidley Whiplash (Logan Webb) last night. I loved that part!

2025 Futures Game

Here are the highlights featuring Josue DePaula:

BTW: Max Clark is from Franklin, Indiana. Our family just happened to have dinner in Franklin Last Night. Max is ranked #13 by BA.