More than half of minor league baseball players have voted to unionize

A minor league baseball game between the Tampa Tarpons and Dunedin Blue Jays in April. A "significant" majority of minor league players have sided with organizing efforts, the Major League Baseball Players Association said. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

More than half of minor league baseball players have voted to unionize, the Major League Baseball Players Association says — the most important step yet in the effort to organize the minor leagues.

"Minor league Players have made it unmistakably clear they want the MLBPA to represent them and are ready to begin collective bargaining in order to positively affect the upcoming season," said MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark in a statement Tuesday.