MLB’s Statcast Tech Could Revolutionize the Game of Baseball

Last year, the MLB Network began testing Statcast, a high-tech system used to measure and track every on-field movement during a ball game that could not previously be measured. Due to a costly radar installation process, the equipment needed to support the system was only previously available in three ballparks. However, MLB recently debuted the system during a Cardinals-Nationals matchup and confirmed the system would now be available for coverage of games at all 30 parks.

“Statcast collects the data using a series of high-resolution optical cameras along with radar equipment,” according to MLB.com. “The technology precisely tracks the location and movements of the ball and every player on the field at any given time.”

MLB_Statcast

The technology is a significant upgrade to the PITCHf/x system, which is capable of showing the location and trajectories of every pitch but not much else.

“Statcast will be used exclusively on MLB Network for several weeks until it is made available to Fox, ESPN and TBS, and local regional sports networks,” reports The New York Times. The collected data will be available to baseball fans through the At Bat mobile app.

The system will record and track movements such as pitch velocity, a ball’s spin rate, a player’s first step and projected home run distance, all of which have been previously impossible to accurately detect.

“By quantifying almost every on-field movement, Statcast could change the way fans watch the game and how teams evaluate and pay players, measure performance and find undervalued talent,” NYT predicts.

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