“We Have Passed the Baseball Equinox” by slgckgc is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.
In recent years, baseball has gone through a massive transformation. The landscape of the game has drastically been reshaped by technological advancements that allow players to evolve the way their training methods on the field and weightroom. Innovations- such as the Rapsodo and Trackman- give coaches and players the opportunity to break down the mechanics of both hitters and pitchers in ways never seen before. Along with that, there are new statistics (stats) and video breakdowns which were not available prior to the introduction of the new tools. These tools have brought competition to a new level with power numbers of hitters being higher than ever, and pitchers ability to consistently throw in the mid to upper 90s. However, this technology revolution also carries significant drawbacks, threatening the interest being drawn from fans and, as a result, reducing interest towards baseball overall. As organizations increasingly prioritize metrics, the true love and beauty of the game is at risk of being left in the past, leading to a disconnect from the sport’s rich affection from people around the world.
The Rapsodo is a machine that is placed fifteen feet, six inches from home plate and uses algorithms to measure a variety of pitching statistics. One of the most important statistics it measures is spin rate, which “measures the spin direction by reading the direction that the seams are traveling as the pitcher releases the ball; these measurements are converted to resemble the hands on the clock. The direction of the ball should read as to where the hour hand on a clock is pointed in the given chart” (Rapsodo). When referring to “hour hands”, picture the hour hand on a clock, with the hours 1:00-12:00. The optimal release point of the hour hands depends on the armslot of the pitcher, the pitch type, and if he is a right handed pitcher (RHP) or left handed pitcher (LHP). For example, the most effective spin direction of fastballs/changeups for a LHP is between 10:00 and 12:00. The next most important statistic is gyro degree, which is explained as “a measurement that tells us how well a pitcher stays behind the baseball at release, measured on a radial scale between 0-90°. 0° marks pure transverse spin, while 90° is pure gyroscopic (bullet/football spiral) spin” (Rapsodo). The spin rate and gyro of the pitch allow for coaches and players to determine where their pitches should be thrown in the zone, along with how to attack hitters on their strengths/weaknesses. A pitcher with a higher spin rate and gyro degree should throw his fastballs at the top of the zone, since these statistics suggest their pitches will be perceived as rising to hitters. Vice versa is true with low spin and gyro degree pitchers. This varies with each pitcher as no pitcher is the same, which makes interpreting these stats so intriguing. Coaches must do a good job analyzing these stats and making mechanical adjustments to their pitching staff whether it be mechanical or a pitch grip change.
Trackman is used by hitters in order to analyze their swing paths and outcome of a swing. Launch angle is the most common stat used, which is the angle the ball leaves the bat after contact. Higher launch angles increase the likelihood the ball is hit in the air, resulting in extra base hits. Lower launch angle results in more ground balls/linedrives. There is no correct launch angle for a hitter. The ideal launch angle depends on the type of hitter and swing type. Furthermore, swing path is another statistic coaches and players heavily utilize. The hitter’s barrel control is measured in this, which is the amount of time the barrel is in/out of the hitting zone. This allows hitters to gain an understanding of their barrel depth and adjustments can be made accordingly. Pitch location/type also has an effect on what path is needed in order to produce hard contact. The last of the most used statistics is contact depth. This records which part of the zone which contact is made. This statistic plays into many of those mentioned above. Depending on the pitch/location, hitters want to hit the ball at different depths of the zone. Generally, inside pitches want to be hit out in front of the strike zone on pitches thrown closer to the hitter. Middle pitchers must be hit in the start of the hitting zone on pitches thrown over the heart of the plate. Outside pitches are driven best when contact is made on the backside of the zone on pitches thrown near the outside corner. Although there are other stats produced through the Trackman, such as exit velocity/distance/sweet spot percentage, these three are the most vital for success.
In 2002, the Oakland Athletics were the first organization to introduce “sabermetrics”, which is the mathematical or statistical study of baseball. Researchers use stats to question the traditional measures of baseball evaluation instead of instinct or the feeling of flow within the game. (Society of American Baseball Research). In the early 2000s, the A’s had the lowest budget in all of Major League Baseball (MLB) and needed to find a way to compete with the rest of the league. As a result, they looked into on base percentage (OBP), slugging percentage (SLG), and fielding percentage in order to sign players who were not very highly touted players. Although they did not have many superstars on their team, their win percentage began to rise and they became a competitive organization once again. Other teams took note of the approach they were taking and began to do the same. Because of this, the outlook of scouting/signing evolved in the early 2000s. In the present day, a similar trend is occurring, but now with more advanced stats that are being produced from Rapsodos and Trackmans.
Between the Rapsodo, Trackman, and electric strike zone, numerous strides have been made to the game of baseball. So, what are the negative effects of depending on statistics and the introduction of these new tools? The love, intimacy, and passion for the game is starting to shift. The game is becoming less entertaining to fans, which is a rising concern for not only the MLB but for sports fans across the globe. The Athletics were primarily focused on producing baserunners and minimizing errors in the field, hence why OBP, SLG, and fielding percentage were what they created their clubhouse around. Now, teams are focused on producing as much offensive production as possible. “Sabermetrics demonstrated that extra-base hits… are more valuable than had been understood and singles, the most common hit, less valuable for the purpose of winning games. Consequently, batters began to gear the way they swing at pitches to maximize the chances of extra-base hits. Their adjustments, however, also increased the chances of missing the pitch entirely. Consequently, strikeouts increased, which reduced the action–and thus the most entertaining partof the game. Thus batters are increasingly aimed to earn more walks, which led to more pitches, which in turn prolonged games without adding any interesting or exciting action” (Manelbaum). In MLB games today, it seems that the outcome of at bat are either walks, strikeouts, or extra base hits. Yes, the longball is very exciting, but fans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of action inning-to-inning and prolonged games. Strikeout rates have nearly doubled over the past 100 years, which is extremely significant. K/9 are the amount of strikeouts per game, divided by the amount of innings played in a game. From 1901-1909, the average K/9 was 3.55. From 2010-2023, the K/9 was 8.6 (Young)! Hitters are being dominated by pitchers, even with the advanced analytics hitters have access to with the Trackman numbers. Pitchers always had the advantage in baseball, as a career .300 hitter is considered a hall of famer. But, it is becoming noticeable how much hitters are being blown away by them. What can be accredited for the jump in strikeout rates, longer games, and loss of interest in fans? The technology advances that have recently come about. This is a very new subject which has been brought to the attention of owners, GMs, and affiliated leagues. However, with the way it has been trending, there is no tell as to what extreme this can be taken to in the coming years.
Technology has undeniably elevated the training of baseball players and will continue to for years to come. The emphasis on metrics and data-driven approaches are starting to overshadow love for the game. Although the philosophies and strategies differ from team to team, the use of these tools are used through the large majority of colleges and every single professional team. It is crucial for teams to find the right balance between embracing technology and maintaining the unique fundamentals and feel of playing the beautiful game of baseball. With issues arising with baseball fans and the MLB concerning pace of play and technology overuse, it will be interesting to see how the game continues to evolve. Nothing is permanent, and only time will tell what direction the age-old game will go in the upcoming seasons.
Works Cited
“A Guide to Sabermetric Research.” Society for American Baseball Research, sabr.org/sabermetrics#:~:text=The%20phrase%20%E2%80%9Csabermetrics%E2%80%9D%20itself%20is%20in%20the%20public,evaluation%20such%20as%20batting%20average%20and%20pitcher%20wins.
Manelbaum, Michael. “Can Baseball Survive the Computer Age?” Persuasion.Community, Persuasion, 21 Mar. 2023, www.persuasion.community/p/can-baseball-survive-the-computer-age.
“Trackman Baseball – What We Track.” Trackman Baseball – Baseball’s Leading Tracking Technology, www.trackman.com/baseball/Portable-B1/what-we-track.
“Understanding Rapsodo Pitching Data: Spin Profile.” Rapsodo, 7 Nov. 2022, rapsodo.com/blogs/baseball/understanding-rapsodo-pitching-data-spin-profile.
Young, Geoff. “Strikeout Rates through the Years.” The Hardball Times, 28 Oct. 2009, tht.fangraphs.com/strikeout-rates-through-the-years/.