diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES_v0.7.1.md b/RELEASE_NOTES_v0.7.1.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..18c2de6
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+# Release Notes v0.7.1
+
+## 🎉 Major Changes
+
+### Removed Key Transformation Layer
+Removed the `_transform_keys_in_data()` function that was lowercasing all API response keys. Models now directly use the MLB Stats API's native `camelCase` format, simplifying the codebase and ensuring accurate representation of API responses.
+
+### Complete Pydantic Migration
+This release includes the complete migration from Python dataclasses to Pydantic v2 models across the entire codebase (from v0.7.0). All models now use Pydantic for validation, serialization, and data handling.
+
+**Key Benefits:**
+- Automatic data validation with clear error messages
+- Built-in serialization with `model_dump()` and `model_dump_json()`
+- Pythonic `snake_case` field names while maintaining API `camelCase` compatibility
+- Better type safety and IDE support
+
+### Removed Mock Tests
+All mock tests and associated JSON fixtures have been removed (22,370+ lines). The test suite now focuses exclusively on external tests that validate against the actual MLB Stats API.
+
+## 📝 Breaking Changes
+
+⚠️ **This is a major version release with breaking changes:**
+
+1. **Field Access**: All model fields now use `snake_case` instead of `camelCase`:
+   ```python
+   # Before
+   game.gamedata.weather
+   
+   # After
+   game.game_data.weather
+   ```
+
+2. **Validation Errors**: Invalid data now raises `pydantic.ValidationError` instead of `TypeError`
+
+3. **Serialization**: Use Pydantic methods for serialization:
+   ```python
+   # New methods
+   model.model_dump()
+   model.model_dump_json()
+   ```
+
+## 🔧 Model Updates
+
+### Core Models
+- All models migrated to Pydantic `MLBBaseModel`
+- Field aliases updated to match actual API `camelCase` format
+- Optional fields properly marked for fields that may be missing
+
+### Specific Model Fixes
+- **Game Models**: `gamePk`, `gameData`, `liveData`, `metaData` aliases corrected
+- **HomeRunDerby**: `homeRun`, `tieBreaker`, `isHomeRun`, `isTieBreaker` aliases fixed
+- **Stats Models**: `wobaCon`, `pitchArsenal` aliases corrected
+- **Schedule Models**: `calendarEventId` made optional
+- **Standings Models**: `wildcardGamesBack`, `wildcardEliminationNumber` made optional
+
+## 🐛 Bug Fixes
+
+- Fixed missing fields in various stat models
+- Added `age` and `caughtstealingpercentage` to `SimplePitchingSplit`
+- Fixed `flyballpercentage` field in `AdvancedPitchingSplit`
+- Updated models for new MLB API fields
+- Fixed missing keys in live feed data
+
+## 📚 Documentation
+
+- Updated README with Pydantic migration examples
+- Added "Working with Pydantic Models" section
+- Added Contributing section to README
+- Updated all code examples to use `snake_case` field names
+
+## 🔄 Migration Guide
+
+If you're upgrading from v0.5.x or v0.6.x:
+
+1. **Update field access**: Change all `camelCase` field names to `snake_case`
+   ```python
+   # Old
+   game.gamedata.weather
+   stat.totalsplits
+   
+   # New
+   game.game_data.weather
+   stat.total_splits
+   ```
+
+2. **Update error handling**: Catch `ValidationError` instead of `TypeError`
+   ```python
+   from pydantic import ValidationError
+   
+   try:
+       game = Game(**data)
+   except ValidationError as e:
+       # Handle validation error
+   ```
+
+3. **Use Pydantic serialization**: Replace `__dict__` access with `model_dump()`
+   ```python
+   # Old
+   data = game.__dict__
+   
+   # New
+   data = game.model_dump()
+   ```
+
+## 📦 Dependencies
+
+- Added `pydantic>=2.0` as a core dependency
+- Migrated from setuptools to Poetry for dependency management
+
+## 🧪 Testing
+
+- Removed all mock tests (22,370+ lines)
+- External tests updated and passing
+- CI/CD pipelines updated to remove mock test runs
+
+## 🙏 Contributors
+
+Thank you to all contributors who helped with this major release!
+
+---
+
+**Full Changelog**: See commit history from v0.5.3 to HEAD
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index ea3f4a9..a154c8d 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "python-mlb-statsapi"
-version = "0.7.0"
+version = "0.7.1"
 description = "mlbstatsapi python wrapper"
 authors = [
     "Matthew Spah <spahmatthew@gmail.com>",