TEMPE – The eighth annual DREAM Series is in full swing in the Arizona desert! DREAM Series is Major League Baseball and USA Baseball’s joint initiative held over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. Its mission focuses on the development of a diverse group of elite amateur and high-school athletes.
As part of the event, athletes will be evaluated in various statistical categories, including the Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) Performance Assessment tests. Follow along and see how the top athletes in the nation stack up with one another and see who tops the leaderboard in select statistical categories and performance assessment athletic tests!
PDP Testing
Prior to taking the field, players will participate in performance assessments. PDP Performance Assessments consist of 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.
Rapsodo Testing
Rapsodo gives players and coaches real-time access to key performance metrics like launch angle, exit velocity, and spin rate. This gives players objective results on their performance and areas that they can work on. Rapsodo also gives real-time access to key pitching metrics like velocity, spin rate, and spin axis. These objective metrics give players insight to their performance and areas where they can improve.
Stars and Stripes in the Desert
Among the 79-player field at this weekend’s DREAM Series are three USA Baseball alumni: Kayson Cunningham (2024 18U), Dexter McCleon Jr. (2024 15U) and Samir Mohammed (2023 15U) all make appearances in this year’s development event. As a trio, the group owns a combined record of 18-0 in the red, white, and blue and trophies one gold medal. Most recently, Cunningham earned Richard W. “Dick” Case Award honors, a prestigious award given to USA Baseball’s top athlete of the year.
A Family Affair
For these athletes, baseball truly runs in the family. This weekend, Tempe will host father-son duo Howie and Owen Kendrick, with Owen taking the field alongside his father, Howie, as he assists coaching the infield. Los Angeles Angels prospect Kyren Paris will see his younger brother, Kaden, participate in this year’s event, while University of Missouri’s junior infielder Danny Corona will have younger brother, Shea, in attendance as well.
Star-Studded Staff
This year’s coaching staff brings a wealth of experience, both as former players and as coaches. Together, they have accumulated over 130 seasons of professional playing experience, with marquee figures such as Marquis Grissom, Howie Kendrick, and Darren Oliver, each boasting at least 15 seasons in the big leagues. In addition, Mike Scioscia joins the DREAM Series staff. Scioscia most recently guided Team USA’s Professional Team to a bronze-medal finish in the 2024 WBSC Premier12 tournament.
To follow along with all the action with the Prospect Development Pipeline and DREAM Series, be sure to follow @BaseballPDP on Instagram and X.
