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A more lost art in baseball is being revived in an innovative way this year, and one ex Major League Baseball Star is happy to recommend.
Sluggball is a reinvented way of playing the sport and is viewed by six-time MLB All-Star Kenny Lofton, who serves as a consultant for the company, as something of a recreational version of another sport.
“It's almost like Top golf “It's a competition, and you get kids who play and want to have fun with the game,” Lofton told FOX Business Digital by phone.
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A hitter prepares a swing during a “Sluggball” tournament. (Slug Ball / Fox News)
Sluggball is founded by a Philadelphia-based partnership that includes former MLB players and Philadelphia Phillies General Motors Ruben Amaro Jr. and his brother David Amaro. The Major League Baseball Alumni Association, Victus Bats and Blast Motion also partner with the brand, while Evan Kaplan, CEO of MLB Players, Inc., serves as a consultant alongside Lofton.
The introduction to the revamped version of baseball is the revival of positional hitting in a fun format that allows players of all ages to compete in 4-on-4 matches at various minor league parks in New Jersey, Ohio and New York this year.
Positional hitting is an aspect of the big league game today that isn't the priority it was when Lofton played. Seeing power as the primary component behind hitting hurts the former middle infielder, which is why he hopes the Sluggball format can bring positional and contact hitting back to the forefront.
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“I think my favorite part about the whole game is that you can have smaller guys in the game, and for me it's more about positional hitting,” said Lofton, who played 17 MLB seasons and had 2,428 hits. was.” 2103 games, said. “I think that's what I saw, and I felt how important it was to the game, and it resonated with me because I wasn't a power player. The game is very much set up with power, power, power. That's just part of it. It's not what makes this game so special.
You don't have to be the strongest hitter, but you can still know how to hit the stick and slugball puts kids in a position to get a little team together and go out and do something and that advantage. have competition. A lot of kids want to go back there.”
The rules of Sluggball are simple. First, teams of six to eight players sign up for their respective event this year and bring their pitcher to the stadium in batting practice style. The lineup for their games — two guaranteed four-run games at the inning — will feature four hitters, with at-bats limited to eight swings or 35 seconds.
A hitter prepares to swing during a “Sluggball” tournament. (Sluggball / IMAGN)
Each game consists of four rounds of position shots, where points are scored by hitting the ball according to the position of each round. Depending on which side of the plate the hitter is on, this pull side will be up, opposite field, and around the horn.
A hit ball is counted only if it is hit into the outfield on the side of the round and remains in fair territory. Most of the team's score in the round is the winner of that round, and no runs or fields are required – just hits.
Slugball hosted an invite-only pilot event at Trenton Thunder Ballpark in September 2024, when Phillies legend Larry Bowa, MLB Ambassador, was on hand to sign autographs and interact with attendees. The event was well-received by players and attendees alike, and saw optimism in 2025.
“A 65-year-old guy who knows how to swing a bat can score in these conditions,” Lofton said, referring to the age of one of the players in the pilot events. “You can hit the ball up the middle, you can hit the ball to left field and right field when it's time to do it. That's what excited me.”
“We know it's BP, but again, I always say you've got to learn how to work the bat. … Maybe Slugball can have an opportunity to say, 'Hey, this is part of It's a game that's important because of the pushback analysis and Ivy League people.”
Sluggball already has Six events are available To register, with “Opening Day” at Trenton Thunder Ballpark on May 10. Fees are $1,795 per team, and include a two-game guarantee with a chance to play in the championship game for a $3,000 cash prize.
Players will also receive team uniforms, including UnderArmour shorts and a Bills Branded jersey and hat. Lunch and a cash bar, post-event player performance analysis, autographed memorabilia from MLB guest alumni and more are in store for each team's experience.
So, like Top Golf, those who still love the game can tread those competitive waters alongside others who want to do the same.
Cleveland's Kenny Lofton swings at a 2019 Legends & Celebrities softball game at Progressive Field. (Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / IMAGN)
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While Sluggball seeks to restore a lost art, it is also expanding the camaraderie that the game of baseball naturally has.
“That's what I miss about the game — the camaraderie of going out there every day and having fun with the guys because you're all like-minded,” Lofton said. “You have people who are like-minded and want to enjoy the game the way it is. Again, you don't have to be the most athletic. You just have to know how to swing the club and put the ball in different areas. From the court and Don't worry about putting it out of bounds.”
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