MLB Rumors: Summer League Planned for 'Elite' High School Prospects

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Major League Baseball is planning on introducing a summer league for elite high school talent, according to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan.

Per Passan, the Prospect Development Pipeline League would feature 80 of the top high school seniors, with the possibility of more being included depending on the success of the league.

The inaugural schedule is expected to get underway in June 2019 and run through early July.

The best players in the program would "play at a high school game during All-Star week in addition to a high school home run derby." Along with typical performance measures, the league will also track prospects' on-field data.

The Prospect Development Pipeline League could help develop prospects as well as give them a stage to showcase their talents. The league is expected to include a number of players projected to be selected in the 2020 amateur draft.

Per MLB rules, the following players are eligible for the draft:

• High school players 
• Junior college players
• College players who have completed their junior or senior years, or are at least 21 years old

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With this program, MLB is hoping to fix a "broken" system.

The league will be held at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, with Tropicana Field—the home of the Tampa Bay Rays—hosting games.

Passan notes that an official announcement regarding the Prospect Development Pipeline League is expected to come later on Tuesday.