Pison, a neural biosensing platform powered by AI, is ready to knock it out of the park with analytics as it expands its offerings to include Baseball Pro—a mental performance training wearable for baseball players now available for pre-order.
The Boston-based startup, founded in 2016 and backed by industry leaders including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the National Science Foundation and the ALS Association, says the wearable measures reaction time and decision speed with millisecond precision. Having such insights readily available can provide players of all levels—from youth baseball participants to professionals—a competitive edge, according to Pison.
Pison CEO John Croteau noted that as the startup aspires to transform human cognition, beginning with the beloved sport was a no-brainer.
“There’s no better place to start than baseball, a game that is widely understood to be mentally demanding. Milliseconds count, as does the ability to control emotions and persevere under adversity,” Croteau said.
Beyond equipping players with helpful data, the platform enables coaches to monitor and compare performance levels, including metrics across teammates. A predictive analysis feature is also available, giving users the ability to evaluate how a player’s current performance projects to high school, college and professional levels. The data is available to be shared with coaches, scouts, and college recruiters.
The wearable, priced at $359 and expected to ship in late February, includes a 12-month Pison Baseball Pro membership. Those who purchase during the pre-order launch receive perks such as early access to product updates, Pison merchandise and complimentary access to a seven-week Mental Performance Training program led by Zach Sorensen, former MLB player and current mental performance coach for the Cincinnati Reds.
“Pison is looking to standardize tools that prepare baseball players and project on-field performance based on cognitive abilities,” Pison vice president of sports operations Marc Deschenes said. “Measuring reaction and mental processing speed down to the millisecond offers unique insights into players’ capacity to compete at various levels of the sport. Our pilot programs last spring with D1 Power Five, D3, and Junior College baseball teams demonstrated a strong correlation between measured cognitive scores and on-field performance.”
Although the wearable is designed to enhance baseball performance, it also provides a wealth of mind and body insights, tracking metrics such as sleep, stress, strain and recovery.
Overall, Pison’s Baseball Pro provides a hint at what’s to come in the advanced wearable space, considering the corporate wellness sector is warming up to the idea of workplace wearables. It’s an area Pison already serves with Safety Pro, aiming to reduce workplace safety risks by identifying staff members who may experience cognitive impairment.
