Detroit Tigers, Florida Poly join forces to advance player health and performance

New partnership will embed Florida Poly faculty with the Tigers' Performance Science group, driving research in data science, sport analytics and performance science.

LAKELAND, Fla., Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Detroit Tigers and Florida Polytechnic University are launching a new partnership that brings together data science, academic research and professional sports to tackle real-world challenges in player health and performance.

The collaboration will connect the Tigers' Performance Science group at their Spring Training home in Lakeland with Florida Poly's STEM expertise, creating opportunities to turn cutting-edge research and data-driven insights into practical applications in professional baseball. The partnership brings academia to an area of data analysis typically handled in-house by professional sports organizations.

As part of the agreement, Florida Poly will appoint a full-time associate professor of data science and sport analytics who will be embedded within the Tigers' Performance Science group. The faculty member will teach and contribute to academic program development at the University while conducting applied research alongside Tigers performance experts.

Research projects will focus on using data to address complex challenges in player health and performance. One project will aim to develop a system to better predict injury risk by combining players' injury histories, biomechanics and physical capabilities with the goal of improving health monitoring and helping inform signing and draft decisions. Another will create individualized virtual models to predict how changes to a pitcher's mechanics could affect performance and physical stress before those changes are put into practice.

"We're excited to partner with Florida Polytechnic University on this fellowship," said Dr. Georgia Giblin, Vice President of Health & Performance for the Tigers. "This partnership strengthens our ability to translate research into real decisions for our players. We look forward to expanding this relationship in the years ahead as both organizations continue to grow."

The unique arrangement bridging academic research and professional sports will provide Florida Poly students with valuable exposure to emerging fields in sports science and data analytics.

"We are tremendously excited to partner with the Detroit Tigers to create new opportunities in data science, sport analytics and performance science," said Dr. Devin Stephenson, President of Florida Poly. "This partnership will give our faculty and students the opportunity to apply their expertise alongside a world-class professional sports organization while advancing research with real-world impact. We look forward to growing this collaboration and building a strong pipeline of talent that will benefit both organizations for years to come."

SOURCE Florida Polytechnic University