A breakthrough in baseball & softball competition preparation

Previously we have taken a look at our next evolution of baseball and soft ball coaching tools; comprising software, apps and reports. In this article Chuck Wilmot turns our attention to an equivalent toolset designed for opponent scouting.

How much time do you spend scouting your next opponent? Most coaches spend a lot of time examining video and data, usually using a manual and very time consuming process. But, if you know your opponent’s strength and weaknesses, you can put a game plan together that has a high chance of succeeding and increases your competitiveness. It is a major strategic advantage! Dartfish has created a powerful and efficient way to do this without spending enormous time and resources. This new product is part of Dartfish’s product strategy to provide baseball and softball programs with a complete solution to assist in the development and competitiveness of their team. These scouting tools provide programs with the ability to create an opponent library which provides team and player past performance reports and searchable pitch video which are used to develop pitching plans, hitting against pitcher plans and defensive positioning plans. Our new development was based on much feedback from coaches, we discovered many of whom scouted opponents by watching video and manually taking notes that were used to generate a game plan. We believed that if we could automate the note-taking process and produce modern analytics merging reporting with video we could change the way programs prepared against opponents.

Step 1: Charting the game

Dartfish automates note taking by charting pitches using our PC software or an app called Dartfish Note (iOS & Android). For each, the process is very simple. You watch each pitch and tap buttons to log information about the pitchers and hitters results.

The data produced from the charting tool is output to the analytic reporting platform and, because each pitch is time stamped by the tools, it is also used to cut the game video into pitches. That’s it. Minimal to zero after game video editing and each pitch is searchable by pitcher and hitter result data.

Step 2: review team’s and player’s past performance reports

Pitcher report

Above is an example of the Opponent Scouting pitching report. This powerful report delivers coaches and hitters, past performance data from either the entire team (all pitchers) or a selected pitcher who you are preparing to face. Click the image to take a closer look and see details below.

This area shows predictive analysis on game situations. For example, we can look at the most common pitch sequence delivered by pitchers to new hitters with pitch location tendency. This, of course, would be a tremendous advantage to the hitter. The coach can also look at pitch type and location as players. Coaches can print these reports and have them available during the game.

Hitters report

Here is a similar example of the Opponent Scouting hitters report for use by your pitchers and pitching coach. Here we have the pitcher’s view into the strength and weaknesses of the opponent’s hitters. The report shows past performance data from either the entire team (all hitters) or results can be filtered by selecting a particular hitter your pitcher is going to face. As with the hitting reports all this can be printed and used during the game.

Dartfish-scouting-baseball — This area shows the hitter’s performance across all games your opponent library. You can review the pitch location and determine if the opponent’s hitter likes the pitch or look at what pitch type the hitter prefers. The hitter’s overall performance can be measured by selecting criteria such as on base percentage, chased pitches, hard hit ball, etc.

This area shows predictive analysis on game situations. For example, we can look at the what the common pitch type and location the hitter puts the ball in play. Determining the pitch type or location for which the hitter has had past success gives, of course, a tremendous advantage for any pitcher.

Step 3: Review video

Dartfish-baseball-softball — The online view of pitches, selected by coaches using the logged data. You can see that further filtering can be applied using the area on the right where frequency stats are also displayed. The coach can send all pitches on line or be more selective.

In addition to the team and players past performance statistics there are many things that can only be scouted visually. For example, tip offs on pitches or throw overs, hitter’s position in the batter’s box. Video means having the ability to see things that just aren’t available through player statistical reports alone. Because Dartfish stats are time-stamped, our tools can match each pitch to the relevant part of the game video then extract those video chunks so that what gets put up for online viewing doesn’t take unnecessary space or upload time. Best of all, your descriptors of each pitch go with it, and that’s what enables you to relate stats to video. No… perhaps best of all is that all this video editing is automatic, based around the buttons tapped during the game.

We’ve also had great feedback

The Dartfish scouting tools have been thoroughly tested by several programs. Through the test period we obtained great feedback and many new features and report data were incorporated into the product based on the vision of these coaches and their many years of coaching experience. For this we would like to acknowledge their contributions. We now invite YOU to take thirty minutes to see this. You will be impressed. It can change the game! In half an hour we’ll give you a tour and you can sample the output from the Dartfish baseball-softball scouting tools.

Please contact Dartfish, to arrange an online meeting at your convenience.