A Baseball Team's Evolution to Self-Learning Shows How Tech Can Improve Your Game

Craig Webb
20 hours ago
2 min read

Trajekt pitching machines help batters prepare for who they'll see in the game.

By Craig Webb

Two years ago, the Washington Nationals' general manager put up a sign during spring training that declared: "I don't care how fast you throw ball four." The Nats finished 71-91, the sixth-worst record in Major League Baseball. A year later, the sign was gone but the problems remained. The Nationals slumped to 66-96, the majors' third-worst record.

Now the general manager and coaching staff are gone, and so is the attitude. In its place is a new GM and coaches who have brought in technology that gives players tools they can use on their own to improve their game. Reports The Athletic on the change: "This new administration cares how fast you through ball four. It also has the toys to prove it."

For instance:

Bullpen TVs let pitchers see instant replays of their previous pitches thrown, metrics attached to the pitch and their biomechanics. There's no need to ask a coach for stats. "We're getting data in real time, and I think that that's been a huge help," one pitcher said.
Players rave about the black Pulse bands they wear around their biceps. The band allows pitchers and the team to track the stress they put on their arms rather than going off only gut feel. One potential result: Fewer season-ending arm injuries.
Trajekt machines (shown above) replicate the movement and motion of the arms players see in games.
Reliever Cole Henry likes TruMedia because it lets him do a deep dive on his own, rather than relying exclusively on public services or reports put together by coaches.
The installation of a Plyo wall gives pitchers a surface to throw weighted balls against, thus helping their arm strength. And batters are using weighted bats more often to help improve the speed of their swings.

What's the result? Nothing spectacular yet: The Nationals are 4-8 as of April 9. But their first three series were against teams that made the playoffs last year, and for the most part they held their own. Just as in LBM, it takes time and training to build a team.