Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant wants his own swing data

Chicago Cubs, third baseman, Kris Bryant, is using his quarantine to collect data; for himself. New swing technology by Rapsodo is bringing the data home.

My son is a high school junior, like Chicago Cubs‘ Kris Bryant, once before, who plays baseball for his school’s varsity team. His baseball preseason started right after Christmas, and his team played about three games a week until the pandemic hit. He had just gotten his uniform the week before the State, and the school told everyone to stay home.

My first thought, like everyone else, was that athletes would have to train at home. The training would have to be intense to be able to come back in a few weeks, which was the time-frame we predicted the pandemic would last.  If it took longer, no problem; just needed to turn the workout into something long term that could build resiliency. The whole goal is to get the athlete as totally ready for the season as possible.

While it’s too early even to predict if major league level or any level of baseball will return, we do know that the virus has already affected the futures of many players.  Consider seniors in high school that want to go on and play in college or MLB. What stats are colleges using for seniors that are sitting home and have never swung the bat in an official game this season?

Wow!

None of today’s senior high school players ever thought that their stats from junior year would have to get them into college, but here we are. Will they even get a chance to demonstrate their skill for colleges?

Most likely not.