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Field notes

The batting cage playbook

Field notes on building cages, finding cage time, and doing youth baseball right.

The pillar

Build a batting cage

Every decision in order, from “will it fit” to “it’s earning”. The part of a cage build nobody else has written down end to end.

All build guides
  1. Space & costWhat it costs, what fits, permits and HOA.
  2. FramePortable vs permanent, poles, slope, anchors.
  3. Netting#21, #36 or #42 — and what fails first where you live.
  4. SurfaceTurf, mats, drainage, mound and plate work.
  5. Lights & machineEvening reps, L-screens, machine selection.
  6. Rent it outSelf-entry, pricing, and what it actually earns.

Latest Guides

CageList News

CageList News
CageList News

CageList Is Now an Authorized JUGS Sports Dealer

CageList is now an authorized JUGS Sports dealer. Real JUGS machines, nets, screens, and practice balls, sold and shipped directly at real JUGS pricing.

September 21, 20263 min read
A baseball resting on the pitching rubber of a lit turf field at night
CageList News

Baseball Is Fragmented. CageList Is the Map.

Youth baseball and softball are fragmented across Instagram, GroupMe, waitlists, and league silos. CageList is the map — cages, teams, leagues — and why we grow verticals while backyard density rises.

August 13, 20269 min read
A batting cage with turf, a bat, a ball bucket, and home plate, showing a safe training environment.
CageList News

How CageList Is Changing the Game for Cages, Teams, and Leagues

CageList is changing the map of baseball and softball — bookable neighborhood cages, claimable team pages, and league hours that stop sitting empty. Here is the through-line.

August 6, 20266 min read
A youth travel baseball team together on the field
CageList News

Cages Were Just the Beginning: We're Building the Home Field for Baseball and Softball

Six years ago I couldn't find a place to hit. So I spent six years building the fix. Cages were just the beginning — here's why CageList is now the free national home for travel teams, men's leagues, little leagues, and every backyard cage in the country, built to grow the game the right way.

July 18, 20268 min read
Coach addressing youth baseball players during team practice
CageList News

Why CageList? The Baseball Network, Explained

The Airbnb of baseball, explained: who CageList is for — players, hosts, facilities, builders, coaches, and leagues — and why each one uses it.

July 16, 20265 min read
Building the Little League Directory: 200 Leagues, 17 States, and What We Learned featured image for the CageList blog
CageList News

Building the Little League Directory: 200 Leagues, 17 States, and What We Learned

A look at CageList's free Little League directory — now 200 chartered youth baseball leagues across seventeen states, each tied to the batting cages nearby, plus what careful research taught us along the way.

July 6, 20263 min read
A backyard batting cage at sunset next to a sunken trampoline, desert mountains in the distance
CageList News

Why I Built CageList

CageList started with a friend's backyard cage I felt weird using — and the twenty dollars I couldn't figure out how to give him. Here's the awkward favor that turned into a marketplace.

July 4, 20264 min read
Looking up through the netting of an outdoor batting cage with players training in the background
CageList News

Being My Own Boss as a Baseball Guy

I fell into private coaching giving off-season lessons for extra money. Here's what being your own boss as a baseball guy actually takes — and why organization beats talent.

July 4, 20264 min read
CageList founder Isaac Hess pitching during an outdoor training session
CageList News

From Coaching Reps to Building a Company

What coaching hitters taught me about building a company: teaching is product thinking, trust is trust — and caring more than anyone else is the real edge. Plus where CageList goes next.

July 3, 20264 min read
Softball training setup with bats, a bucket of softballs, and home plate in a batting cage.
CageList News

Why Local Cage Access Matters for Youth Sports

Local batting cage access gives more youth players repeatable, affordable reps between team practices and tournaments.

June 30, 20265 min read
A covered backyard batting cage with turf, netting, and equipment in warm afternoon light.
CageList News

The State of Backyard Batting Cages in 2026

Backyard cages have gone from luxury to mainstream. Here's what's driving the trend in 2026 — cost, convenience, year-round reps — and the underused-asset opportunity it created.

June 30, 20265 min read
Softball training cage with a bucket of yellow softballs, bat, and glove.
CageList News

The Rise of Travel Ball — And What It Means for Families

Travel ball creates opportunity and pressure, making local cage access and focused practice plans more important for families.

June 30, 20265 min read