Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, April 10, 2024) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, together with Magnus Sports Group, innovators behind Yakkertech, BaseballCloud, and SoftballCloud technologies, have announced a groundbreaking alliance that will bring high-level analytics to high school-aged baseball players nationwide.
This historic collaboration will provide in-game ball flight metrics, famously utilized by Major League Baseball’s Statcast, to the mass market of baseball for the first time. The initiative will begin with the installation of over 40 Yakkertech Sentinel VX systems across the United States, starting with Perfect Game's premier locations in Houston, Tex., Ft. Myers, Fla., and Atlanta, Ga. The first systems are already operational at the renowned East Cobb Baseball Complex in Marietta, Ga., and data is set to be captured starting as soon as Memorial Day Weekend.
Through this partnership, 13U-18U athletes playing on select fields equipped with Yakkertech 4-camera optical tracking systems will have immediate access to purchase comprehensive performance reports. These reports offer insights into crucial metrics such as exit velocity, batted ball distance, pitch locations, break and movement, and more, empowering young players to enhance their skills and understand their results.
"This is a monumental day for our company and for the baseball world," expressed Magnus Sports Group CEO, Brian Victorero. "Our team has worked tirelessly for years to ensure that our systems would be ready for this opportunity. As we strive to democratize data and equip athletes of all ages and backgrounds with the highest level of analytics, there truly is no better partner for us than Perfect Game.”
Perfect Game’s CEO Rob Ponger shares in this enthusiasm, stating, "We are constantly looking for tools and partners that will put our athletes in a better position to succeed and reach their goals. Perfect Game has seen over 2,000 of its alumni go on to make their MLB debuts, and many would agree how large a role this type of in-game data plays at the highest level. We are thrilled to be able to give this same information to the next generation of athletes. How cool would it be to see the metrics that current MLB All-Stars were producing when they competed in Perfect Game 14U events? We will soon be able to answer those kinds of questions, and much more.”
Magnus’ owner, Joe Sleiman, added, "As a baseball parent, I wanted nothing more than my sons to reach their potential in the sport. We know not every young player will make it to the big leagues, or even play Division 1. But we have always believed this advanced data should not just be reserved for that top 1% of players. Every young athlete should receive an objective opinion on where they might have the best chance to earn a scholarship or maximize their playing time at the college level. Our technology integrated with Perfect Game’s platform makes this possible.”
Initially, players will have access to post-game and post-event hitting and pitching reports, offering detailed insights through advanced visualizations powered by Magnus' BaseballCloud software suite. These deliverables are just the first step in a shared long-term vision, which will ultimately result in the creation of comprehensive data profiles that track an athlete's progression from their early days of travel ball to the major leagues. By adding this “digital baseball card” component to Perfect Game’s already extensive player profiles, this additional data will provide a fully detailed look of a player’s development and achievements in a visually engaging way. By offering in-game metrics that show how athletes rank against their peers, compare across different age groups, and identify areas for improvement, these profiles will aim to become a foundational tool for data-driven enhancement of their abilities, while giving scouts the most relevant set of information on the market.
The two groups officially announced their partnership and shared more details on the Foul Territory Show earlier today, which can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/@foulterritoryshow/
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Media contact:
Greg Casterioto / Gcasterioto@perfectgame.org / (267) 246-5709
Eric Sexton / Eric@dssports.com
About Perfect Game
Perfect Game is the world’s largest elite youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, producing over 9,800+ events, hundreds of thousands of games, and showcases each year across the country. Perfect Game is dedicated to giving amateur players exposure to take their game to the next level, whether that be in college or in the professional ranks. At Perfect Game events, players are performing with top-level competition in front of college recruiters and professional scouts from all over the country. Because of this, these events prove to be invaluable to college coaches as well as Major League Baseball, as they can scout a large population of talented ballplayers in one location. To date, more than 2,034 players that have played in a Perfect Game event have also played in Major League Baseball. Since 2003, 14,466 Perfect Game alumni have been selected in the MLB First-Year Amateur Player Draft. In the 2023 Draft, for example, 95 percent of all players selected had played in Perfect Game events, and every player selected on the Draft’s first day had previously attended Perfect Game events.
About Magnus Sports Group
Magnus captures, solutions, and moves data for the diamond sports industry, combining next-generation hardware, extensible software, and unforgettable service to propel the game and those that play it forward. Magnus products — Yakkertech, BaseballCloud, and SoftballCloud — bring data to life and provide innovative solutions across player development, coaching, scouting, analysis, and fan engagement. Magnus is trusted by over 150 colleges and professional organizations as their official data provider. For more, visit: seemagnus.com
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