The NFL and College football have come and gone, the NCAA basketball season is nearing an end, and the NBA is in the doldrums before their 60 day playoff marathon. That means it’s time to Play Ball!
Spring Training is in full swing and the season opener is fast approaching. Exciting young prospects are stating their case to make the Opening Day roster while veterans and stars fight to find their regular season groove. Right now hope springs eternal for every team and new technology is as exciting as the prospects on the field. Here are four baseball technology stories we are following as the season bears down on us like an inside heater from Noah Syndergaard.
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1. Mike Trout is using a Zepp Old Hickory “Smart Bat” during spring training
Zepp technology has built an embedded device for baseball bats that measures critical data on a ball player’s swing. Everything from velocity to swing angle and impact speed. The small, non-invasive, device called a 3D Swing Analyzer is inserted in the hilt of the wooden bat.
The data produced by the device can help a batter identify areas of strength and improvement throughout Spring Training. One of the best hitters in the game, Mike Trout, has taken advantage of the device (like he needs it) telling Mashable: “Zepp lets me look at my swing’s performance and progress so I can make the adjustments to improve at the plate…For me, I want to have consistency throughout the season and this is the guide.” If Mike Trout is looking for more consistency the rest of the league should be terrified.
Zepp expects the Old Hickory Bat to go on sale to the public in June of 2016. If Trout puts up an even better season this year than last, there could be quite a few more hitters taking advantage of this tech.
#SmartBat launched today with @OldHickoryBats and @MikeTrout #PoweredByZepp https://t.co/8TBo0OfU0D pic.twitter.com/KNLIAv0T21
— Zepp Labs (@ZeppLabs) February 29, 2016
2. Pitchers trying new protective caps during Spring Training
If you are a San Francisco Giants fan your collective anxiety after Johnny Cueto took a line drive to the head a couple days ago is well founded. Cueto is meant to be an integral part of the Giants’ new look rotation and is supposed to help stoke their even year magic. The good news is that Cueto is okay and expected to be available opening day. The better news is that the MLB has reached out to the Giants to make a new protective “half-cap” available to Cueto.
The “protective half-cap” resembles a visor and works over a player’s regular cap. The rigid construction protects the head from comeback line-drives, errant throws, and the occasional attack pigeon. So far, 20 pitchers have signed on to wear the half-cap this spring and provide feedback.
The caps are made by Boombang and are designed to specifically protect the most vulnerable areas of a pitcher’s head. The MLB is hoping that designs like this one will catch on and more players will take advantage of similar products to protect against head injuries. Currently players can wear any protective device they wish as long as it does not impact game play or violate any licensing agreements.
3. MLB Snapchat Day to appeal to a younger fan base
If you follow your favorite ball players on Snapchat, you may have noticed a flurry of activity this past week. March 11th was MLB’s first official Snapchat Day where players took pictures and video from the training facility, the clubhouse, and even the dugout during games.
The MLB is hoping to use social media to intrigue and develop a younger generation of fans. Snapchat is one of the most popular social media products in the world for sharing pictures and videos. More initiatives like this one are likely to occur as baseball tries to keep up with modern social media and younger fans.
Part of the appeal to fans is getting to see intimate moments in the day-to-day life of their favorite players as they prepare for the season ahead. Spring training is also the perfect venue for this kind of social media outreach as it holds a lighter atmosphere than the regular season. Case-in-point was Will Ferrell’s “Ferrell Takes the Field” filmed during Spring Training last year. It’s the perfect time for fans and players to have some fun before the grind of a 162 game season begins.
LoCain the star, “salvyp13” the director. #SnapchatDay
pic.twitter.com/oKrPiWQlzr
— MLB (@MLB) March 11, 2016
This how we snap. #SnapchatDay pic.twitter.com/SKftDp0EaN
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 11, 2016
4. MLB Settles Class Action Lawsuit on broadcast rights
You might be thinking to yourself “that all sounds great, but I’m a modern human and I like to watch games on my iPad on the go. But my local team is blacked out on streaming devices!” Fear not my friend for there is good news.
Earlier this year Major League Baseball settled an ongoing class action lawsuit surrounding their broadcast rights. Now fans can purchase single team streaming packages in addition to more games being available online in local markets.
In the past, fans were stuck with blackout games of their teams if they happened to be watching on MLBtv in the same vicinity. Now local market games will be available online through DirectTV, Comcast, and 15 Fox affiliates. Unfortunately, this doesn’t cover every team, including a huge chunk of Dodgers fans who are still unable to get Dodgers games in Los Angeles.
MLB’s willingness to jump into the online broadcast arena has seen an increase in views from a younger demographic. Now other leagues, like the NBA, have followed suit and opened the game to views from all over the country. The biggest drawback was that, as a fan, you could not get local games online, only via cable. Those days seem to be on their way out after this lawsuit and the new MLB partnership with DirectTV, Comcast, and Fox.
These topics are just the tip of iceberg in terms of technology in baseball. We aren’t quite at the stage of robot umpires, but we’re getting there. Stay tuned as we cover all the technology baseball has to offer throughout the season.