Comparison

Backyard Baseball '97 vs StratManager

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Backyard Baseball '97

Relive the classic baseball game with iconic characters, fun power-ups, and intuitive controls. Play quick games, practice batting, or manage a full season with unique game modes and simplified rules.

Highlights
  • Iconic character roster
  • Power-ups and special pitches
  • Pick-up and single game modes
  • Full season management
  • Batting practice mode
  • Simplified T-ball mode
Read full description

Rediscover the joy of the original Backyard Baseball 1997! Build your roster from the iconic cast of 30 characters stacked with charming personalities and witty banter, and get the edge on the competition with power-ups, fireball pitches, super strength, and Pablo Sanchez! Play pick-up games, practice batting, and compete in single games or a whole season with simple, intuitive controls that anyone can master! Game Modes: Random Pick-up: A quick way to jump right in! The computer chooses a random team for you and itself, and the game starts immediately. Single Game: You take turns with the computer to choose players from a random pool of characters. Season: You create a team and manage it through a 14 game series. The opposing teams are computer generated. At the end of the season the best two teams advance to the BBL playoffs (best of 3). The winner advances to the championship series which consists of the Super Entire Nation Tournament (best of 3) and then the Ultra Grand Championship of the Universe Series (best of 5)! Batting Practice: Choose a batter and face Mr. Clanky for some batting practice. This is where you’ll learn just when to click to make your chosen batter hit that ball! T-ball - Select T-ball mode for more accessible game play. Simply click to hit, run, and field! BACKYARD BASEBALL RULES The rules for Backyard Baseball are a hybrid of Pro and Little League rules: No leading off No Injuries Bunting is allowed Tagging up is allowed Stealing is allowed At our core, we are fans first–not just of video games but of the Backyard Sports franchise. Fans have asked for accessible and legal ways to play their original Backyard titles for years, and we are excited to deliver. Without having access to the source code, there are hard limitations on the experience we can create. Backyard Baseball '97 runs buttery smooth for iOS devices, looks better than ever, and creates a new installation for digital preservation within the Backyard Sports catalog that allows the next generation of fans to fall in love with the title that started it all.

About

StratManager

This app uses your Strat-O-Matic card data to calculate matchup probabilities, optimize lineups, and track season stats. It offers play-by-play scorekeeping and league power rankings. A free version with sample teams is available, with a one-time purchase to unlock full card data import.

Highlights
  • Matchup calculator with on-base and home run probabilities
  • Lineup optimization based on real probabilities
  • Power rankings for team batting and pitching strength
  • Full season stat tracking and leaderboards
  • Play-by-play scorekeeping with MLB-accurate rules
  • Import custom Strat-O-Matic card data
Features
Read full description

StratManager puts the math behind your Strat-O-Matic cards to work before the first pitch. MATCHUP CALCULATOR — FRONT AND CENTER Pick any batter. Pick any pitcher. Set the ballpark. StratManager instantly shows you the on-base probability and home run percentage for that matchup straight from the card data — so you know before you commit to a lineup who actually has the edge. Adjust for ballpark conditions using the same left/right single and home run ratings from your Strat-O-Matic park card — and watch the probabilities shift in real time based on whether your batter hits lefty or righty. LINEUP INTELLIGENCE Stop guessing which order puts the most runners on base. With your Strat-O-Matic card data imported, every lineup decision is backed by real probabilities. Stack your best OBP against a weak pitcher. Protect your power hitter. Use the data the way a real front office would. POWER RANKINGS See projected league standings ranked by team batting and pitching strength. Know how your roster stacks up before the game is played. FULL SEASON TRACKING Every game you play feeds real stats into season leaderboards — ERA, batting average, OPS, strikeouts, saves. Watch how your cards actually perform over a full season and spot which players are beating — or missing — their expected numbers. COMPLETE SCOREKEEPING WHEN YOU NEED IT Play-by-play scoring, live box score, earned run tracking, double plays, triple plays, and passed balls — all handled with MLB-accurate rules. The scoring feeds season stats so you can see exactly how your cards performed over a full season. FREE TO PLAY Both built-in sample teams are fully playable with every feature enabled — including the matchup calculator and power rankings. Try the full experience before buying. UNLOCK THE FULL VERSION Import your own Strat-O-Matic card data via CSV with a one-time purchase. No subscription. No ads. Yours forever. --- StratManager is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Strat-O-Matic Game Company. Sharing or distributing Strat-O-Matic card data is strictly prohibited.

Screenshots

Backyard Baseball '974 screens
StratManager4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: StratManager at Free against Backyard Baseball '97's $4.99. StratManager also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0). Backyard Baseball '97's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 1). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

StratManager is free to download; Backyard Baseball '97 costs $4.99 up front. StratManager sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Backyard Baseball '97 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StratManager holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backyard Baseball '97 has 1.5K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Backyard Baseball '97 versus StratManager: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackyard Baseball '97StratManager
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (1.5K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.5K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 10 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#6 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size326 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPlayground Productions LLCAnthony Weeks

Customer experience

Backyard Baseball '97

All ratings1,548 ratings
Positive72.5%
Neutral8.9%
Negative18.6%
Written reviews266 reviews
Positive65.4%
Neutral13.5%
Negative21.1%

StratManager

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Backyard Baseball '97

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Gameplay freezes and crashes
  • Inconsistent fielding and throwing mechanics
  • Hitting mechanics feel unresponsive
  • Inability to save progress after crashes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Full-screen mode
  • Improved controls and input responsiveness
  • New game modes (e.g., home run derby, playoffs)
  • Ability to select home field
  • Option to mute all sounds

StratManager

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Backyard Baseball '97

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

StratManager

One-time1
  • Full Version$4.99

Questions

Is Backyard Baseball '97 free?
Backyard Baseball '97 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is StratManager free?
StratManager is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Backyard Baseball '97 or StratManager?
StratManager is rated higher. Backyard Baseball '97 averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while StratManager averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Backyard Baseball '97 or StratManager have ads?
Neither Backyard Baseball '97 nor StratManager shows ads.

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