If you write about prospects and the minor leagues, keeping your coverage well-rounded is important. Prospect lists and awards are a popular part of any minor league website. But ask yourself why you want to contribute those types of stories.
Independent writers have the option to decide, while writers connected to newspapers and bigger websites have different expectations for their work. Don’t feel pressured to join the pack. And don’t assume a responsibility that you might not sincerely have a strong grasp of.
It’s easy to analyze the numbers of the top prospects in any system. But keep in mind that there’s a lot of research and firsthand knowledge required to decide those rankings And it’s the reason they’re so trusted and respected.
Here’s a few questions to consider:
Are you offering a unique point of view?
If you observe any of the most highly regarded annual prospect lists, they are written by leading voices in the industry. They have something to say because this is their area of expertise. As mentioned, the scouting information they have access to is a huge part of their work.
If you feel passionate about rankings or post-season awards, go for it. Find a way to deepen your work as an independent writer. Readers appreciate coverage that is independent of, say, MLB.com or a newspaper. I simply urge you not to throw up a prospect ranking list just based on stats.
Consider putting a staff together just for prospect ranking lists. If you have a few people working on any lists of that nature, you can diversify and strengthen the results. Can you set aside a small budget annually to hire a few writers just to work on the rankings who are attending games? Even better if they’re credentialed, so that they can talk to coaches and managers, and scouts will be comfortable sharing some information. Most of the time when I approach a scout at a minor league game, they ask for credentials, so keep that in mind.
Do you have enough authority on players to rank them?
The importance of seeing players in person, multiple times, is preferable. Video and numbers can only tell you so much.
I’ve had a few experiences with post-season awards, and for the most part I was writing about a league or team I covered. I came up with Rays MiLB post-season awards in 2014 that was based in part on observation of players I’d covered, mixed with statistical analysis. There’s something to be said for also having strong expertise, and not necessarily see every player being ranked. Consider those lists carefully. Certain prospect lists you can trust to genuinely inform. Others are fun to read. Debating with readers can be part of the fun. You can take that approach and have a good time with it, and no one is going to fault you for giving your opinion.
No matter what, the key element to a solid prospect list or post-season honors is how much first-hand knowledge you have. And how much time on research you’ve invested. When fans read those stories, they will debate your point of view. Having confidence in your voice comes from developing it from personal experience. As time went on, I spoke up when editors disagreed with certain observations and readers disagreeing didn’t intimidate me. That self-assurance comes from knowing you’re an authority on the subject.
Does that content fit what readers expect of you?
I’ve never felt a great need to do rankings, but I also never got the sense that my readers felt a need for me to do them. I gained readers through features, interviews and game coverage. I knew what my lane was. Later, I’d learn how to track what stories were most popular with readers, which helped me understand what people were looking for. I don’t tailor what I write to what readers want. The point of a blog is creative freedom. But I don’t try to be anything I’m not. I explore the landscape, but stick with what I know and love.
Every blog and website has a different drive, a different focus. Regular readers know what they’re going to get and it’s why they keep returning. When readers go on my blog, they expect a variety of MiLB coverage. I would expect a blog or site that focuses on one team or league to offer some sort of rankings list at one point, and more than likely post-season honors.
It’s all about understanding what content your readers expect and trust.
Can you take a more creative approach?
There’s so much possibility. And some of the ideas you could brainstorm might seem less interesting than a straight up prospect list; but wouldn’t you rather create something unique that won’t get lost in the crowd?
What if you had awards for best between-inning entertainment? Best Instagram photos of the year by minor league players? Or teams? If you want to focus on player performance, try to focus on one team that you can concentrate your coverage on. I’ve done post-season awards for the Eastern League, Rays minor league players, and the New York Penn League. With the NYPL Awards, I came up with fun awards that weren’t about individual performance, including one that focused on an overall team’s social media strength.
I began the MiLB Twitter Twenty in 2011; the annual list honors the best minor league player accounts. I added Honorable Mentions and that has also grown through the years. I like to highlight as many accounts as possible and make it fun for everyone reading. When I initially started, I saw a void. There wasn’t a lot of attention being paid to minor league player accounts on Twitter, so it was a prime time to create something focused on that area of social media.
There’s a lot of ways you can engage your fans with that type of pre-season or end-of-season content. Explore your own possibilities in order to contribute something genuine.
Bottom Line: You don’t have to mix prospect lists and post-season awards into your minor league coverage, but don’t assume you have nothing original to contribute…Rather than just pulling info from others and analyzing stats, see players in person and form your own opinion…Try something different from the multitude of prospect lists out there…Focus on a league or team you can observe multiple times throughout the season…If you’re independent, value your voice; but do as much solid research as possible to create solid ranking lists and post-season awards.