Triple-A Optimization: Ranking Every MLB Organization By Driving Distance To Its Triple-A Affiliate
When Major League Baseball formally took control of the minor leagues last fall, one of its stated goals was to better serve MLB organizations by reducing the amount of travel time between affiliates.
Because time is money, the diminished travel between minor league affiliates would translate to lower player development costs.
Of particular interest was shortening travel time between Triple-A affiliates and the major leagues, where promotions, demotions and rehab assignments are the most frequent and weighty.
In its restructured minor leagues, MLB improved or kept the same the distance between Triple-A affiliates and parent clubs for all 30 organizations.
Ten MLB clubs have their Triple-A affiliate located less than 100 miles from their major league home base. Another 12 clubs have their top affiliate within 500 miles of their major league headquarters.
Six MLB clubs partnered with new Triple-A affiliates. They are listed below, sorted by mileage saved by comparing old with new.
| Organization | Triple-A Old | Triple-A New | Miles Saved |
| Nationals | Fresno, CA | Rochester, NY | 2,412 |
| Marlins | Wichita, KS | Jacksonville, FL | 1,285 |
| Twins | Rochester, NY | St. Paul, MN | 999 |
| Brewers | San Antonio, TX | Nashville, TN | 718 |
| Rangers | Nashville, TN | Round Rock, TX | 495 |
| Astros | Round Rock, TX | Sugar Land, TX | 144 |
With their Triple-A affiliate changes, the Twins and Astros join the Braves and Mariners as organizations having their top affiliate in the same metropolitan area as the major league city. Those four clubs have the most convenient Triple-A affiliate arrangements.
The Twins added St. Paul as their Triple-A affiliate, and the Astros partnered with Sugar Land. Both of those clubs were formerly independent franchises.
The Dodgers kept their affiliation with Triple-A Oklahoma City, which is 1,330 miles from Dodger Stadium. Not only is that by far the largest physical distance between Triple-A affiliate and parent club, but the gap is 43% larger than the second-largest gap, which is the 754 miles between the White Sox and Triple-A Charlotte.
See full details below, which sorts organizations in ascending order of the driving distance between Triple-A affiliate and big league club.
| Org | Triple-A | State | Miles |
| Twins | St. Paul | MN | 12 |
| Astros | Sugar Land | TX | 22 |
| Braves | Gwinnett | GA | 36 |
| Mariners | Tacoma | WA | 36 |
| Red Sox | Worcester | MA | 44 |
| Tigers | Toledo | OH | 58 |
| Phillies | Lehigh Valley | PA | 69 |
| Giants | Sacramento | CA | 84 |
| Reds | Louisville | KY | 98 |
| Blue Jays | Buffalo | NY | 98 |
| Org | Triple-A | State | Miles |
| Yankees | Scranton/W-B | PA | 128 |
| Indians | Columbus | OH | 142 |
| Rangers | Round Rock | TX | 186 |
| Royals | Omaha | NE | 193 |
| Orioles | Norfolk | VA | 232 |
| Mets | Syracuse | NY | 264 |
| Cardinals | Memphis | TN | 284 |
| Cubs | Iowa | IA | 339 |
| Marlins | Jacksonville | FL | 345 |
| Pirates | Indianapolis | IN | 361 |
| Org | Triple-A | State | Miles |
| Nationals | Rochester | NY | 384 |
| Rockies | Albuquerque | NM | 452 |
| Athletics | Las Vegas | NV | 554 |
| Brewers | Nashville | TN | 568 |
| Angels | Salt Lake | UT | 682 |
| Rays | Durham | NC | 697 |
| Padres | El Paso | TX | 723 |
| D-backs | Reno | NV | 750 |
| White Sox | Charlotte | NC | 754 |
| Dodgers | Oklahoma City | OK | 1,330 |
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