Arlington Little League (“ALL”) will hold a full draft to create teams at the AAA level for the upcoming season. The AAA draft will be similar to the Majors draft.

Our initial plan last year was for coaches to draft the first four rounds, then collaborate with the league to complete their teams. Coaches ultimately drafted seven rounds and then collaborated with the league to fill the remaining spots. Building upon the relative ease of last year's collaborative process with coaches and the general overall success in spreading out talent while keeping friends together on teams, ALL has decided to run a full draft at the AAA level. This will also prepare players and coaches for the Majors and 5070 drafts.

Parity matters to ALL. AAA is the first level of play where scores from games are recorded and team standings are kept on the ALL website. For that reason, equitable distribution of talent is essential to our mission. We strive to maintain a competitive balance at AAA, as the quality of competition is what sets our league apart. Our goal is to achieve the best of both worlds — teams that are balanced and competitive, while providing opportunities for many (or even most) players and coaches to advance from the previous Spring AA level to play together at the AAA level. This system ensures that no single team is overly dominant, while providing a more enjoyable experience for all players by spreading out skill levels.

Players registered for AAA must attend a mandatory preseason evaluation (known as “STEP” or “Showcase”) session to be evaluated in the following areas:

• Hitting: Hand to Eye, Stance / Form
• Hustle / Speed
• Fielding: Fielding Grounders, Fielding Fly Balls
• Throwing: Throw Accuracy, Throw Strength, Pitching Form

Ratings are based on a 5-point scale. The Player Agent aggregates STEP/Showcase ratings recorded by League Officials for all players registered at AAA and above. These ratings are for league use only and are not provided to players or families. This preseason evaluation is used to help evaluate the talent pool so teams are balanced.

No. While rosters are published to the website, the order of selection is not divulged, even after the draft is completed.

No! Coaches have the opportunity to draft players. They also have the opportunity to work with other coaches during the draft to discuss players they would like to select. The league also works to ensure that teams select players from the same school or previous teammates, so that each player knows someone on their team. This process works well for most teams. Most players and families end up with at least a few friends, neighbors, or teammates from previous seasons. Many teams are able to retain a core group of players.

We won't pretend that the first practice will be easy for players who don't end up with a teammate or coach they really wanted to play with, but kids will definitely have fun. They will meet new friends and grow by competing against their friends and classmates.

No. The league strives to ensure that teams are balanced and have the same number of players. Moving players after the draft can negatively affect multiple teams.

Little League International requires larger leagues with over a certain number of players to be divided into two leagues. In Arlington, we are divided into an American League and a National League, based loosely on school boundaries and the team the player was previously on. Players must be designated AL or NL in their league age 9-year-old season; once a player is designated as AL or NL, they unfortunately cannot switch.

• Spring 2025 AA Breakdown
  • AL - Yankees, Cubs, Brewers, Red Sox, Rays, Mets
  • NL - Orioles, Dodgers, Nationals, Blue Jays, Tigers, Mariners
• Spring 2025 AAA Breakdown
  • AL - Brewers, Tigers, Orioles, Dodgers, Mets
  • NL - Yankees, Angels, Nationals, Cubs