LongBall Labs provides a performance boost for our MLB clients by following this simple formula.
1) Discover an inefficiency: NO TWO BATS ARE THE SAME
Even if they are made on the same day to the same exact specs, no two bats will perform the same because no two pieces of wood are the same.
It was this insight upon which LongBall Labs has discovered a major discrepancy in Major League Baseball: In any given shipment of bats to a big leaguer (and we have measured hundreds), there exists performance variability on the order of 6-18ft of batted ball distance. This has been scientifically tested with dozens of MLB hitters.
2) Convert it to performance advantage: RIPz ®
Our proprietary RIPz® metric allows LongBall Labs to quantify the performance potential of individual bats. Armed with the exact RIPz® score for each of your bats, finding your absolute optimal bat becomes simple.
3) Provide the competitive edge in a simple way: Find the gamers
Our clients do not need to change anything about their approach to the plate. We take care of the complexities in our lab to make it simple for you in the box. Then we step away and let you do your thing.
What Clients Have to Say About LongBall Labs
"I was intrigued right away. I've always done the eye test and feel, and this went to the next level."
-Mitch Haniger
Seattle Mariners
“I've taken a ton of swings with a ton of bats to narrow down my personal bat that suits me. Now I'm able to pick the very best bat out of the batch that's going to maximize my performance over the course of 162 games. I want to create an advantage by using the best tool tailored specifically for me.”
-Pete Alonso
New York Mets
"Once the idea was introduced it made sense. It's attention to detail that got me to the big leagues, and how I've stayed here."
"What I really like about what they do is they are helping identify what bat is going to give you the highest potential exit velocity and nothing else."
-Jed Lowrie
Oakland A's
"With LongBall Labs, I'm excited to know what I'm swinging this year down to the decimal point. No more guesswork. Just bats that will allow me to maximize my potential in the box."
-Josh Bell
Washington Nationals
“I tried LongBall Labs system this [2020] offseason and was amazed at my exit velocity results. LongBall Labs predicted massive exit velocity differences between bats that looked identical to me. This season, all my bats will be going through LongBall Labs.”
-Eric Sogard
Free Agent
"It’s exciting to know that I will be using the best wood available to me each and every day. "
-Jace Peterson
Milwaukee Brewers
“It just makes too much sense.”
-Ty France
Seattle Mariners
Garrett Hampson
Colorado Rockies
Expectation
All bats from the same shipment will perform the same.
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Reality
Each bat in a shipment has its own performance characteristics. Which bat will give you the highest performance?
How it Works
1) Ship your bats to one of our three private labs for analysis.
2) Our proprietary system ranks your bats by expected exit velocity (specific to your swing).
3) You get an exit velocity boost by only swinging your highest performing bats.
Meet the Team
Keenan Long
Co-Founder and CEO
Keenan earned a mechanical engineering degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 2010 after leading the baseball team to three consecutive NCAA D-III Tournaments and receiving an NCAA All-American Honorable Mention. His professional career includes stops in the Golden League and the Frontier League. Long went on to pursue a career as a bat engineer for Easton where he authored a portfolio of patents on bat technology. His subsequent research with the Analytics Dept at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management uncovered the performance advantages that LongBall Labs provides its clients.
Koby Close
Co-Founder and Head of Data
Koby graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 2017 with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. He played catcher and infield for four years on the varsity baseball team, making an appearance in the NCAA D-III Regional Championship in 2016. His sports engineering experience includes lab testing at Columbia Sportswear and a role as a Biomechanical Engineer for Motus, using data to improve pitcher performance. Koby is an accomplished Sabermetrician whose research has calculated the exact dollar value of individual performance increases.
Media
LongBall Labs Signs Pete Alonso and Josh Bell
[Rose-Hulman] Athletic Hall of Fame Adds Four Newest Members
‘No two trees are alike’: Major leaguers find that their bats may have been holding them back ($ Paywall, The Athletic)
Baseball & Business Podcast - Episode 59: The Lab Changing How Hitters Choose Their Bats
2021 Results
Our clients had a total of TEN “front row Joe” homeruns. These balls would have been warning track flyouts had the hitters been swinging less optimal bats from their inventory.
One veteran MLB client set career bests in Barrel Rate, Average Exit Velocity, and Maximum Exit Velocity.
Another MLB client had career bests in Barrel Rate, Homeruns, and RBIs.