Turn Cage Time Into Game Time in the Red Wings Performance Center Hitting League

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A traditional hitting league might measure success by how many balls a player drives into the back of a net. Hitting Leagues at the Red Wings Performance Center - fueled by Wegmans turns those swings into something much closer to an actual game.

Leagues are played using the HitTrax Team Game mode, a simulated baseball or softball experience that converts every batted ball into a live result. A line drive can become a single. A ball into the gap might produce a double. A deep fly ball could leave the virtual ballpark...or die at the warning track…leaving the bases loaded. Don’t do that. 

HitTrax manages the game while the players provide the swings.

Teams play 5-inning or 9-inning games, score runs and build season statistics without needing a full defensive team or an outdoor field. The Performance Center’s two HitTrax-equipped cages allow multiple teams and matchups to remain active during league play.

Start by Choosing Your Ballpark

Before the game begins, players can select the virtual stadium where their matchup will be played.

HitTrax includes all 30 Major League ballparks, allowing teams to play in familiar venues such as Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium or Rogers Centre. Select Minor League Baseball and NCAA baseball and softball venues are also available.

The ballpark is more than a background image. Each stadium has its own dimensions, wall locations and outfield layout. The same batted ball that clears the fence in one stadium might hit the wall or become an out somewhere else.

That creates another layer of strategy...and plenty of opportunities for friendly debate before the first pitch is thrown.

Build the Teams and Set the Game

Team Game allows league organizers to build teams, enter players and select the number of innings.

Once the players are assigned, each team works through its batting order. HitTrax keeps the game moving by managing:

• Balls and strikes

• Hits and outs

• Baserunners

• Runs and RBIs

• Simulated defensive plays

• Double plays

• Inning changes

• The game score

There is no need to station fielders around the cage. HitTrax uses the measured characteristics of the batted ball to calculate where it would travel and what the likely result would be on the selected field.

Players still have to execute. The system simply supplies the ballpark, fielders, scorekeeper and statistics.

Every At-Bat Has a Purpose

Because the Team Game mode creates real innings and game situations, league swings feel different from ordinary batting practice.

A player might step into the cage with nobody on and try to start a rally. The next batter could come up with a runner in scoring position. Later, a hitter might need to advance a runner, drive in the tying run or deliver with two outs.

That context encourages players to think about more than exit velocity.

A hard ground ball can be valuable in one situation and turn into a double play in another. A deep fly ball might be an out with the bases empty but score an important run with a runner on third. Hitters begin to see how contact quality, direction and game situation work together.

The result is a league that rewards both performance and approach.

The Technology Behind Each Result

HitTrax uses computer-vision-enabled optical tracking to measure the ball immediately after contact. It observes the initial portion of the ball’s flight and uses a physics engine to project its complete path inside the selected virtual stadium.

Results appear on the screen within milliseconds, allowing players to watch the ball travel through the simulated field almost immediately after it reaches the cage net.

According to HitTrax’s published specifications, the system measures exit velocity within approximately plus or minus 1 mph and launch angle within approximately plus or minus 1 degree.

For each batted ball, the system can capture or calculate information including:

• Exit velocity

• Vertical launch angle

• Horizontal spray angle

• Projected distance

• Point of impact relative to home plate

• Direction of contact

• Ground-ball, line-drive or fly-ball classification

• Projected play outcome

• High-speed video connected to the swing data

The projected outcome is calculated using HitTrax’s proprietary algorithms, the measured characteristics of the ball, the selected stadium and the player’s configured skill level.

This allows athletes of different ages and playing levels to compete in an environment appropriate for them. The field can be scaled so younger players receive realistic results without being compared directly with adult or college-level dimensions.

More information about the system’s measurements are available at HitTrax.

From One Swing to a Full Season

The game does not stop analyzing when the final out is recorded.

HitTrax can automatically produce player statistics, team standings, and league leaderboards throughout the season. Instead of relying on handwritten scorebooks, players can see how their performance develops across multiple games.

Depending on the league’s selected reporting categories, that can provide insight into areas such as:

• Batting average

• On-base percentage

• Slugging percentage

• Hits and extra-base hits

• Home runs

• Runs and RBIs

• Exit velocity

• Projected distance

• Hard-hit rate

• Line-drive, fly-ball and ground-ball percentages

• Spray charts

• Performance trends

Those numbers give the league an additional layer of competition. Players can follow the standings, compare performances and chase individual leaders while still working toward team wins.

The information can also help athletes identify patterns. A player might discover that their hardest contact consistently goes to the pull side, that their launch angle changes from week to week, or that they produce better results when using the entire field.

Two HitTrax Units Mean More League Action

The Red Wings Performance Center - Fueled by Wegmans contains two HitTrax-equipped batting cages, housed in spacious indoor tunnels.

That two-unit setup makes a significant difference during league play. Two games can operate simultaneously, more teams can move through the schedule and players spend less time waiting for their next matchup.

It also gives the Performance Center flexibility to run different activities at the same time. One cage could host a scheduled league game while another is used for warmups, player evaluations, a second matchup or another HitTrax activity.

HitTrax also supports connectivity between equipped cages, including cages located within the same facility. This creates additional possibilities for head-to-head events and special competitions when that format is included in the session setup.

Baseball and Softball Players Can Compete

The technology is designed for both baseball and softball.

Player profiles and field dimensions can be configured for different ages, sports and competition levels. Softball players can compete in virtual softball venues, while baseball players can select from Major League and college baseball parks.

That makes the Hitting League an option for youth athletes, high school players, college athletes and adults who want competitive at-bats during the offseason.

Players do not need to be technology experts. Once the teams, stadium and game settings are selected, the experience is straightforward: step into the box, watch the pitch and swing.

Competition That Also Builds Better Hitters

The league is fun because it feels like a game. It is valuable because every game also creates measurable feedback.

Players get competitive at-bats instead of repetitive swings without context. Coaches can see how hitters respond with runners on base, how consistently they produce quality contact and whether their results change throughout the season.

That combination of competition and information is what separates the Red Wings Performance Center Hitting League from an ordinary night in the batting cage.

The scoreboard makes every swing exciting. The data makes every swing useful.

Step Into the Game

Choose your team. Pick your stadium. Enter the lineup and step into the box.

With HitTrax’s Team Game mode powering the action and two HitTrax units keeping the league moving, the Red Wings Performance Center - fueled by Wegmans gives Rochester-area baseball and softball players a new way to compete during the offseason.

Visit the Red Wings Performance Center to learn more about Hitting League registration, schedules and upcoming opportunities.