The Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) is a collaborative effort between Major League Baseball (MLB) and USA Baseball to establish a player development pipeline leading to the MLB Draft for amateur baseball players in the United States.
At the heart of the Prospect Development Pipeline is the PDP Performance Assessment, a series of comprehensive evaluations that utilize state-of-the-art technology to measure cognitive skills, speed of processing, athletic performance, and on-field talent.
- PDP Performance Assessments are offered free of charge at all official PDP events and select partner activations.
- All data collected from the assessments is disseminated to the 30 MLB Clubs in preparation for the MLB Draft and to USA Baseball for national team identification.
- Additionally, all participants receive a personalized player report following the evaluation process containing data and metrics from the evaluation, and training tools for improvement and sustained development.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the cost for Prospect Development Pipeline events?
There is no cost. PDP participation is provided at no cost to the athlete.
How can a player participate in a PDP Assessment?
PDP Testing takes place free of charge to athletes at our partner events. This includes but is not limited to USA Baseball events, East Coast Pro, MLB Develops and the MLB Draft Combine. Players will receive invites to these events from their respective directors.
How do I get identified for a USA Baseball event?
The primary identification vehicle for USA Baseball national team and development programs is the USA Baseball National Team Championships held in Arizona and North Carolina from June to July. These are travel ball tournaments held at the 13U through 17U levels, and they are heavily scouted by USA Baseball national team coaches, scouts and staff. Players are identified and selected to a corresponding national team programming or development event in the current calendar year.
For an individual route, players can participate in the USA Baseball National Team Identification Series (NTIS). At this event, players from across the country begin the identification process by competing in camps and tryouts at the local level in their designated region. Every region will name athletes from each age group (11U–16U) to two (2) All-Region teams that will participate in the NTIS Champions Cup at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. USA Baseball coaches and scouts also select players from NTIS for corresponding programming in the following calendar year.
How do I get identified for an MLB Develops event?
MLB Develops hosts a series of identification events known as the MLB ID Tour. For more information on the ID Tour, please visit https://www.mlb.com/mlb-tour or email mlbdevelopsinfo@mlb.com.
If my child attends a PDP Event, is he guaranteed to be drafted?
No. PDP Premier Events are solely for the identification and evaluation of prospective athletes for USA Baseball, the MLB Scouting Bureau and MLB scouts. Premier events bring Club scouts closer to the athletes than ever before. Participating players are updated within the MLB draft database and assigned their eBIS 2 number. Participating players will continue to be evaluated respective to their draft class as an amateur prospect.
Do I receive anything after participating in a PDP event?
After an event, you will receive a customized Prospect Development Pipeline Player Report containing educational information, amateur resources and post-event evaluation with your personalized athletic assessment. Participating players are updated within the MLB draft database and assigned their eBIS 2 number. Participating players will continue to be evaluated respective to their draft class as an amateur prospect.
What are the bat specifications at Prospect Development Pipeline events?
If you have questions about bat certification or specification, please email usabat@usabaseball.com.