Do you have what it takes to be a baseball player? The SPARQ was a rating system designed to measure sport-specific athleticism. The results from these tests were combined and weighted using a formula specific to baseball. This SPARQ baseball protocol is same as for Fastpitch/Softball, except for softball the 20 yard dash is used instead of the 30 yards.
Note: Despite being a very popular assessment method for some time, the SPARQ business is no longer active and is not available to conduct testing and rate players.
![baseball base run](images/baseball-preparation-pixabay.jpg)
The following tests make up the assessments in the Baseball and Fastpitch SPARQ.
- 30 Yard Dash — a straight line sprint test that measures acceleration, and is a reliable indicator of speed, agility and quickness. (Fastpitch uses 20 yards)
- Vertical Jump — jumping for maximum height, this test measures explosiveness, and is a reliable indicator of speed. The preferred method is using a digital jump mat though other methods can be used if required.
- Rotational Power Ball Throw — The test involves throwing a Power Ball across the chest for maximum distance. It measures core strength and total body power and simulates the rotational core movement common to baseball.
- 20 Yard Shuttle — A lateral movement test that measures the agility of the athlete, especially body control and change of direction.
Results
- The highest recorded SPARQ Baseball Rating is 102.31 by Jacoby Ellsbury, a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, in a test conducted in 2008.
- 30 yard dash: 3.56 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 38.5 inches (97.8 cm)
- Power Ball Throw: 65 ft (19.8 m)
- 20 Yard Shuttle (5-10-5):
Related Pages
- About the SPARQ Rating System
- About the MLB Combine
- Baseball Fitness Testing and fitness components
- Who Is The Fittest Baseball Player Ever?
- The same tests are part of the SPARQ testing for Softball/Fastpitch
- Fitness Testing for Sports.
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