Driveline Baseball

Driveline Baseball is a player development company that describes its work as world-class hitting and pitching programs driven by data and constantly tested. Founded by Kyle Boddy, it operates training facilities in Kent, Washington, Scottsdale, Arizona and Tampa, Florida, and works with amateur players, college athletes and Major League Baseball professionals.

Its YouTube channel has more than 1,700 videos. They include research findings, such as what 1,000 pitcher retests reveal about gaining velocity, clips from its R&D podcast on how data is changing MLB pitch selection, player stories such as a pitcher’s road back to the majors and short videos on force plates and motion capture.

The channel is both an education resource and a showcase for a business built on sports science.

Driveline belongs on The Shelf because it represents how player development has become a data-driven industry. MLB teams now employ biomechanists, data scientists and development coaches, and many of their methods were shaped by private companies such as Driveline.

Its videos show the kinds of questions analysts and coaches investigate: how to increase velocity, how to choose pitches and how to measure movement. They also show the technology involved, from force plates to motion capture.

Driveline is also a business case study. It built a brand and customer base by publishing research and results, which shows how expertise can become a successful company in sport.

The pitch selection and velocity research show the kinds of questions that MLB research and development departments investigate. Teams now hire people with backgrounds in physics, biomechanics, data science and coaching to answer them.

Watch Driveline Baseball to understand modern player development. Start with the R&D podcast clip on pitch selection, then watch the video on what 1,000 pitcher retests reveal about velocity.

Next, watch the story of a pitcher’s road back to the majors and the Driveline Roadmap explainer. These show how data is turned into individual development plans.

As you watch, note the technology, metrics and job roles involved. If you want to work in baseball development, those notes will help you decide which skills to build, such as biomechanics, data analysis or coaching.

If you want to work in player development, consider learning the tools mentioned in the videos, such as motion capture data and force plates, through courses or local training facilities.