The entire baseball world was thrown for a loop by the abrupt end of the 2020 amateur season. High school seniors who were hoping to attract last-minute collegiate offers with strong play in their final games were robbed of that opportunity. Draft-eligible players and their agents have had to change their game plans due to fewer rounds, and pro organizations are releasing minor league players up to 50 at a time due to budget cuts and MiLB restructuring.
Things were no different at BaseballCloud. The company was poised for a huge 2020 season after bringing on over 100 new college clients between August and January, and was forced to pivot as baseball came to a halt. Fortunately, our software capabilities and industry connections put us in a prime position to help nearly every side of the game navigate this unprecedented challenge.
We know that the use of data and technology in baseball is more popular than ever, but the national lockdown has shown its value in ways we've never seen before. In our conversations with SportTechie, we wanted to emphasize the role that data will play under these unique circumstances.
Jon Updike, BaseballCloud's President of Digital Scouting and Player Development Solutions, is featured heavily in the article. The man who has made the term 'digital scouting' popular in the baseball realm gave a bit of insight into his experience with the New York Mets, and how data is playing a major role in the organization's most important decisions.
"For a long time there was a lot of fear in the scouting community that the metrics were going to take it over. What we've learned—at least the better clubs have learned—is that it’s a combination. If what your scouts see lines up with the numbers, well, you take the player. A great example of that is (Mets 2020 3rd Round Pick) Matt Allan."
- Jon Updike
For more from Updike, CEO Kevin Davidson, and BC partners like 108 Performance's Eugene Bleecker, be sure to check out the rest of the story below.
https://www.sporttechie.com/mlb-baseball-scouting-technology-covid-19-pandemic-draft-prospects