Batter Up! How Technology Shapes Baseball Today
Technology is all around us, even if we don't always realize it. This article is part of an occasional series to highlight the innovative and interesting tech that we use every day—and the careers (and people) that make it work.
TEACHER TIP: Use stats from the World Series to teach students about collecting, organizing and analyzing data.
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By Ethan M. Gregory
Technology has forever transformed the game of professional baseball, with advancements made in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and motion sensors.
These advancements have enabled players to enhance their performance while preventing injuries by providing players with deeper insights into their techniques. Believe it or not, technology has also improved the integrity of the game, allowing for more fair outcomes.
Jobs in data and advanced analytics, software engineering, virtual reality (VR), media technology and information security are all available in Major League Baseball (MLB). But even “non-tech” jobs require an understanding of how the following tools work.
- Advanced Analytics: Pitch and Batting Tracking
- Video Replay
- Automated Ball and Strike Calling System (ABS)
- Pitching Machines
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Video Technology
- Cloud Storage
- Wearable Technology
Advanced Analytics: Pitch and Batting Tracking
Modern baseball relies heavily on cameras and radar systems to monitor the velocity, trajectory and spin of pitches. Using data collected and analyzed by AI systems that utilize high-speed cameras to track the ball’s movement, players can adjust their grip and release points to improve their performance over time. Advanced bat sensors capture swing data and instantly send it to a mobile device using an app, tracking metrics such as barrel speed, hand speed, approach angle, trigger to impact time and distance in the zone. The 3D videos of swings can be viewed in the app, with data points attached.
Video Replay
Video replays have been used by the MLB since 2008, initially limited to home-run calls. Since then, the system has greatly expanded to include a wider range of plays, such as tag plays, fair or foul balls, and catch or no-catch situations. New systems use numerous camera angles to achieve 360-degree replays, with 4K 60fps shots and enhanced zooms to provide more comprehensive coverage. Managers may challenge calls made by umpires during a game using the replay review system, meaning these details are crucial for maintaining the integrity of the game.
Automated Ball and Strike Calling System (ABS)
ABS, known colloquially as robo-umps, are systems designed to assist in calling balls and strikes in baseball. Using advanced tracking technology that employs high-speed cameras all around the stadium, ABS can track the ball’s trajectory from the pitcher’s hand to the catcher’s mitt. By analyzing the ball’s path in real-time, ABS can determine whether it passes through the strike zone, making it effective as a challenge system, as teams are given a limited number of times they can challenge the human umpires’ calls. While ABS has yet to see use in MLB, systems have been tested in the minor leagues and received positive feedback.
Pitching Machines
Advanced pitching machines are designed to replicate the real pitches of MLB players by simulating the velocity, spin and placement of pitches. Coaches can program these machines to deliver specific pitches that their players will face in games. Unlike traditional stationary pitching machines, advanced models can move left and right on a track and adjust their height from 4 to 7 feet off the ground to mimic real-life pitching scenarios. They often use video projection systems to display an image of a pitcher to add realism, with teams capable of uploading their own videos that correspond to each pitch to project the precise arm slot. Various data from advanced tracking and analysis systems can be inputted into the machines to catalog metrics from players’ training sessions. By analyzing the outcomes of each pitch, these machines can adjust and improve their accuracy when replicating specific pitches, becoming more precise the more they are used.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
AI and ML have changed baseball in a multitude of ways. Advanced markerless motion capture technology uses AI and ML to extract data to automatically analyze video of baseball players during games, generating 3D skeletal models of their movements. This enables real-time tracking of joint positions and motion patterns, allowing coaches to immediately assess pitching mechanics and foresee potential injuries without interrupting the game. These camera systems are currently deployed in over 75 stadiums across MLB, Minor League Baseball (MiLB) and the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). AI is also used in player scouting, with AI chatbots generating scouting reports for MLB players using various data sources. These reports evaluate players on metrics deemed representative of their abilities, offering critiques and determining whether it believes the player to be overpaid or underpaid.
Video Technology
Tools like high-speed cameras and virtual reality (VR) headsets have become staples in the development of professional baseball players, with some high-speed cameras capable of capturing up to 35,939 frames per second. Using the slow-motion visuals, teams can see the precise details of how a pitcher’s grip changes as they release a ball, like the subtle adjustments in finger position. While hitting mechanics can also be studied, these cameras are used more extensively for pitching to fine-tune and design new pitches.
Cloud Storage
MLB, which has 60 petabytes of historical data, has created an extensive archive containing 3.5 million searchable videos dating back to the 1920s. This creates new opportunities for both fans and broadcasters, allowing them to find any play from any player in baseball’s rich history. Fans can create their own highlight reels, while broadcasters and scouts have easier access to the archives with minimal technical knowledge required. The system also provides real-time game data to MLB broadcast partners, with each new season capturing over 40 terabytes of data.
Wearable Technology
Devices like smartwatches, heart rate monitors, and sleep trackers provide useful insights into a player’s overall health and well-being. Wireless motion sensors easily attach to a player’s body to capture detailed 3D data of their movements anywhere. This data is transmitted in real-time to a computer or tablet, accelerating a player’s improvement by eliminating guesswork and providing an instant understanding of how they move.
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Sources:
Engadget: How off-the-shelf cameras are powering baseball’s next-gen replays by Nicole Lee
FOX59: Triple-A baseball teams to adopt robot-umpire challenge system full-time by Michael Bartiromo
Pro Baseball Insider: Review of the Diamond Kinetics Swing Tracker by Doug Bernier
VALD Performance: ForceDecks | Portable, powerful and easy-to-use force plates
Microgate: Witty Wireless Training Timer
ESPN: Face any pitcher, any time: Inside MLB’s new Trajekt tech by Alden Gonzalez
Kinatrax: Kinatrack Analytics, Kinatrax Motion Capture
Sony: Sony Acquires KinaTrax, Inc. to Expand Its Sports Data Business into Player Performance
Digital Kenyon: AI Scouts In Baseball: How AI can potentially revolutionize scouting in professional baseball by Parker Gibbons
AI at Bat: How Major League Baseball is surfacing stats faster with AI by Rob Engel
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Last Word On Sports: Game Changers: Virtual Reality and AI Transforming MLB by Drew Crabtree
Frontiers in Psychology: Visual training, real effects: a narrative review on sports performance through interventions in virtual reality by Fabio Richlan, Moritz Weiss, Patrick Kastner and Jeremias Braid
Google Cloud: Swinging for the clouds: Major League Baseball keeps enhancing the game and fan experience by Tyrone Millard
Google Cloud: Crackerjack data: How MLB is reinventing the fan experience of today, tomorrow, even yesterday by Blair Franklin
K-Motion: Accelerate Player Improvement With... The Power of 3D Technology