MLB Draft Combine, PDP League presents events

Major League Baseball and USA Baseball on Monday announced improvements to the joint Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) to host a series of evaluation and presentation events for MLB Draft prospects in 2021 and 2022, including the first MLB Draft Combine for High School and college baseball players. In addition, the PDP League,

Major League Baseball and USA Baseball on Monday announced improvements to the joint Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) to host a series of evaluation and presentation events for MLB Draft prospects in 2021 and 2022, including the first MLB Draft Combine for High School and college baseball players. Additionally, the PDP League, a development and assessment opportunity for high school players eligible for the following year’s draft, will return after the 2020 event is canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted at the United States Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, NC, these programs strictly adhere to health protocols and other safety precautions that comply with all state and local regulations, protect all participants and on-site staff, and maintain the integrity of individual player ratings .

• Prospect Development Pipeline | MLB Draft League

The first MLB Draft Combine (June 20-28) features top prospects for high school and college baseball as determined by MLB clubs, which have the opportunity to attend a range of medical and performance appraisals, as well as educational programs in preparation for them for a career in professional baseball. As part of the Combine Experience, the top 88 high school players eligible for the 2021 MLB Draft will be selected to compete in a one-of-a-kind showcase tournament from June 20-26. The tournament features eight games, including bronze medal and gold medal games, as well as PDP performance reviews and a pro-style showcase training. Medical and performance reviews for all athletes will be conducted June 24-28. In addition, all participants in the newly formed MLB Draft League will have the opportunity to take part in combination assessments and evaluations through special events in Draft League communities in June. The MLB Draft Combine will be an integral part of the identification and development process for future US national baseball teams. MLB and USA Baseball are in liaison with the NCAA to ensure that the eligibility requirements for athletes are met overall.

From July 22nd to August 1st, the second PDP League will feature the 96 best high school players eligible for the 2022 MLB Draft. The PDP League offers athletes an unparalleled amateur experience, including competitive gameplay, player development sessions, training seminars, and other player programs to prepare players for professional baseball careers. The PDP League will continue to serve as the primary identification tool for the USA 18U National Baseball Team.

Further details on the MLB Draft Combine and the 2021 PDP League, both of which are voluntary and free for participants, will be announced at a later date.

The draft MLB for 2021 is scheduled for July 11-13. For the first time since drafting began in 1965, the event will take place outside of June. The draft will include a minimum of 20 rounds over the three days, starting with the draft’s opening night on Sunday July 11th, following the 2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures game that is part of All-Star Sunday at Truist Park . Since 2009, the first night of drafting has been happening live on the MLB Network in Secaucus, NJ

ABOUT THE PROSPECT DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE

The PDP was created in 2017 and is the official way to identify and rate players at all 30 MLB clubs for elite amateur baseball players prior to the annual MLB draft.

PDP athletes take part in one of the most comprehensive athletic assessment experiences in sport to date, including:

• • Athletic evaluation – Collects objective performance measurements, including gait analysis, dynamic distance and countermovement jumps, agility, cognitive processing speed, and tests of grip strength and fluctuation board.

• • Sports vision screening– Screen players with a series of eye tests designed to help athletes by assessing eyesight and identifying areas of vision that can be improved so they can achieve maximum levels of performance.

• • Swing analysis – Each athlete is assigned a sensor to track every swing and monitor running speed, hand speed, acceleration and impact pulse. High speed slow motion videos are recorded of each athlete.

• • Ball flight analysis – For pitchers, the measurements include speed, spin rate, spin axis, vertical and horizontal spin efficiency. For rackets, the measurements include ball exit speed, spin rate, distance and starting angle.

After each assessment, athletes receive a fully customized player report that includes personal results and data from their assessment, development information with guidelines for improvement, and other relevant resources to help players and families navigate the amateur experience.

The PDP also supports a growing list of additional programs and initiatives that provide player development and sport assessment information for summer college baseball leagues, amateur MLB baseball and softball development events (e.g., Hank Aaron Invitational, DREAM series , Breakthrough Series and States Play). International MLB showcases, the East Coast Pro Showcase and USA Baseball national teams, national team development programs and the national team championships.