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Hello again, everyone. My name is Brendan Gawlowski, and I’m returning to Baseball Prospectus as the Minor League Editor. Craig Goldstein left big shoes, and I’m humbled and excited to try to fill them.

On the prospect side, most of what you know and love is sticking around: Jeff Paternostro is still running point on the top 10s and top 101, our staff will cover all the circuits in the minor league universe, and our core features will continue to run. Notes From the Field, Monday Morning Ten Pack, the Minor League Update: none are going anywhere.

As baseball changes, we must also. This sport is in the midst of an unusually turbulent period. New ideas and technologies have rapidly transformed how baseball is played and evaluated, and the pace at which these changes affect the game is only accelerating. We tend to view these in terms of how they affect the major leagues and big-league ballplayers, but there are profound implications in our space as well. In both player development and scouting, modern ideas have reshaped how clubs value various attributes and player types. As a team, we will cover these changes, and how they affect the top farmhands on your favorite team, in real time.

Alongside these exciting new developments, a few of baseball’s ugliest traditions remain a significant part of the minor league landscape. Most players are still paid poorly, service time manipulation is rampant throughout the game, and common sense initiatives to enhance player welfare have been embraced by far too few organizations. At BP, we’ve often been on the forefront of covering these issues. We will continue to do so.

We’re also on the lookout for new blood. Much like a good minor league system needs to regularly add players, we too must find fresh voices and perspectives. Traditionally, we’ve sought contributors who are comfortable writing eyewitness reports and providing scouting information on minor league players, and we’re still looking to add people who meet that description. But we’re also looking for folks with different skills, be they in covering player development, producing video, or any other relevant niche. If you think you can help, drop us a line at scout_jobs@baseballprospectus.com.

To borrow a few closing words from my predecessor: We know that the many-headed monster of a coverage team can sometimes prove inaccessible to our readers. It’s not always clear who to turn to with a question, who made what decision, and most importantly who to hold accountable. Each of our authors is of course responsible for what they write and say, but I will also be accountable for what is written and published in regards to minor league coverage on Baseball Prospectus. I am also responsible for making sure that the product rises to the standards that have been set by those before me. This is a high bar to meet, but I’m excited to get started.

Thank you for reading

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