| General Information
The SMT Data Challenge is an advanced data competition where students analyze real-world, baseball tracking data. Projects are open-ended, emphasizing process, relevance, creativity and communication rather than purely quantitative analysis. The Data Challenge has become a top recruiting ground for MLB teams—more than 25% of past participants have been hired by professional teams or sports companies.
IF YOU WANT TO STAND OUT AS A JOB CANDIDATE, THIS IS WHERE TO START!
| Eligibility
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The SMT Data Challenge is open to STUDENTS ONLY.
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Must be 18 years or older and enrolled for both Spring and Fall 2026 semesters
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Students may participate individually or in teams (max: 4 students). There is also an option for individuals looking for team members.
| Project Guidelines & Submissions
PROJECT TOPIC: On the Big Screen!
At its core, baseball is entertainment. The technological advancements in baseball have always strived to increase fan understanding of the game. SMT amplifies fan engagement with real-time data visualization tools, changing the game by how we tell stories for all audiences. In 2026, we want your help in telling stories better through a metric, visualization, or interactive fan experience that could be displayed on a Minor League Baseball scoreboard. Examples include:
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A leaderboard ranking the fastest sprint speeds to first base
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An entertainment metric for which player makes the unlikeliest plays
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A game where fans vote if a runner is out or safe based on the player tracking data
MLB teams have asked for creative and original ideas with a clear explanation of how
you moved from problem to solution.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS | Deadline July 27th
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Abstract in PDF format
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Narrative Paper in PDF format (max: 2000 words)
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Analysis Code
| Key Dates
April 29: Registration Deadline
May 1: NDA Deadline
May 4: Earliest date Data might be available
July 27: Submission Deadline
Sept 30: Finalists Announced
Mid-Nov: Finalist Presentations
| Tutorials
Tutorials will cover the following topics:
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Math Review
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Feature Engineering
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Data Visualization
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Supervised Regression
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Supervised Classification
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Paper Writing
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Sports Hiring Process
| Judging
Judges from academia, industry, journalism, and sports will evaluate submissions based on creativity, relevance, methodology, storytelling and communication to technical and non-technical audiences.
| Finalist Showcase
Finalist teams will be invited to a showcase weekend at SMT headquarters in Durham, NC to present to a panel of judges. (Mid-Late Nov, date TBD)