As the Royals roll, this KC tech startup wants to develop its future pitchers
October 27, 2015 | Bobby Burch
A local startup hopes to cultivate the next Wade Davis or Yordano Ventura with the help of its pitching technology.
Precise Play’s Digital Pitch Analyzer
In early 2015, Kansas City-based Precise Play launched its digital pitch analyzer, which the company is selling to baseball academies, schools and private leagues.
Precise Play founder Victor Villarreal said that his machine has been a hit with young players — ages eight to 18 — who hope to improve their pitching skills.
“We can’t get kids off these machines,” Villarreal said. “I took it to a maker’s fair, and the kids were throwing into it and having a blast. Finally, their parents had to tell them that there were other people in line. … You can’t keep them off this thing.”
The six-foot, 300-pound machine uses laser light to track and locate a pitch. A digital display quickly reports back to a pitcher his speed, whether the throw was a strike or ball and its general location.
Painted a Royal blue, the Wi-Fi-enabled pitch analyzer also produces printable performance reports for pitchers to see their pattern. Soon the machine will send the report to a mobile app that’s now in development, which will allow for pitchers to create an online profile of their skills and progress.
“We developed a light curtain with this machine,” Villarreal said. “It has a triple layer light curtain and there are laser arrays that are disrupted by a passing ball and we can collect the data as it passes. We can detect its position on an x and y (axis) and a delta and z axis with a speed component to very accurately determine the speed of the ball.”
Villarreal is selling the laser light version of his product for $4,400 and a radar-based machine for $1,500.
An electrical engineer by training, Villarreal said he plans to capture data from the machines in hopes to create additional revenue opportunities for Precise Play. Eventually, Villarreal said he sees the potential for college scouts and recruiters to pay a subscription to learn more about prospects.
Founded in 2012, Precise Play now has eight people on staff.
Here’s a brief demonstration of the machine from Villarreal:
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Critics challenge DEI as ‘immoral’; this VC has a message for those seeking equity for Black, Brown founders: We are not powerless
Pushing for equity in long-siloed industries might seem obvious to some, said Marcus Whitney, but advocates for change must remember that not everyone is on board — and some are actively working against level the playing field. “I hate to say it, but we have enemies,” Whitney told a crowd gathered Thursday at Vine Street…
Not excited about these 3 Downtown KC projects? ‘You need to have your pulse checked’
It’s never been a better time for businesses in Downtown Kansas City, shared Mike Klamm. “A lot of us are Kansas City natives, and if you’re not excited about where we are right now, I do think you need to have your pulse checked,” said Klamm, chair of the Downtown Council board and senior vice…
Donutology’s trolley adds new flavor to River Market with streetcar shop stop’s opening
Kansas City’s new treat trolley has arrived with Friday’s opening of the new Donutology donut shop within a 70-year-old repurposed streetcar in River Market. Just a few months after news broke that Donutology would take over the space at 426 Delaware St. — formerly a Made in KC micro location — the business opened its…
Acquiring company: Homebase’s KC team will make valuable workforce, leadership additions
Homebase’s acquisition by an industry leader in the smart home space this week gives its Kansas City team a greater voice in redefining the future of living, said Blake Miller, sharing details of what the exit means for the talent at his Crossroads headquarters. “We’ve created an entirely new category in an industry (real estate)…