Article: Examining The Cutting-Edge Technology In MLB Spring Training 2025

[Maddie Landis]

Baseball analytics have evolved significantly since Bill James’ mail-order Baseball Abstracts. With technology producing up to seven terabytes of data per game, new data is readily accessible to teams. The influx of data and analytics has altered baseball, allowing players and fans to gain better insight into the game. Data helps players identify their strengths, examine weaknesses, and adjust their training regimes appropriately. Managers possess more knowledge and can adjust their in-game strategies. 

For example, on June 16th, 2024, the Red Sox took advantage of Yankees’ catcher Jose Trevino, who ranks in the 5th percentile for Caught Stealing Above Average and set a franchise record with nine stolen bases in a single game. They established a precedent for other teams to follow, and in a subsequent game, the Orioles stole four bases with Trevino behind the plate.

Pitching technology has grown faster than batter technology. Trackman, MLB’s first ball-tracking system, debuted in 2015. Five years later, the league implemented the Hawk-Eye system. Previously unidentifiable metrics such as release point, extension, pitch velocity, and spin rate have helped pitchers elevate their game. Pitchers have welcomed advanced analytics with open arms, implementing improved mechanics and tinkering with pitches in pitching labs. 

At the detriment of offensive production, pitch velocity has increased dramatically over the past two decades. Twenty years ago, the league yielded a .264 batting average. Since then, it plummeted to a .243 average in 2024. Strikeouts are also on the rise. The league average strikeout rate jumped from 16.5% in 2000 to 22.6% almost a decade later. 

Red Sox beat writers posted several videos of players practicing during spring training. The following video (courtesy of Pete Abraham) shows a 9-Hole, a Designated Hitter®, a portable Trackman system, and several Edgertronic cameras.

The 9-hole and Designated Hitter are more traditional pieces of equipment that help pitchers with their aim, while the latter stimulates pitching to a live batter. As its name suggests, the Trackman System is a ball-tracking technology that uses a Doppler radar to record advanced metrics, including pitch speed, spin rate, spin efficiency, release point, pitch location, bat speed, exit velocity, and launch angle. According to Trackman’s website, a Trackman B1 starts at $18,995. High-speed Edgertronic cameras can shoot up to 17,000 frames per second. Driveline lists an Edgertronic Baseball Development camera kit at $8,999. These cameras provide a biomechanical analysis of a pitcher or batter’s form. In a Foul Territory episode from January 2024, Adam Ottavino discussed using an Edgertronic camera to improve his pitches. 

The following video from the Red Sox shows Tanner Houck, Brennan Bernardino, and Zack Kelly pitching with an Edgertronic camera behind them and an image overlay of their pitch delivery.

Jen McCaffrey posted a video of Garrett Crochet pitching to Roman Anthony. Trackman data is projected on the Fenway South scoreboard following Crochet’s pitches.

It’s hard to identify metrics on the scoreboard, so I attached a similar photo taken during a Cincinnati Reds batting practice in April 2024. The scoreboard shows exit velocity, hit distance, and hit spin rate.

Another piece of equipment to note is the Trajekt Arc. Self-described as “the greatest hitting experience in the world,” the technology projects a selectable pitcher on a video screen. Then, a pitching machine replicates the selected pitcher’s movement. The Red Sox have three Trajekt Arc machines throughout their system. In the middle of the 2022 season, the organization installed a Trajekt Arc inside the home batting cage at Fenway Park. The following spring, one was placed in Fenway South. Additionally, Polar Park houses a Trajekt Arc. The Red Sox pair their Trajekt system with HitTrax, a simulator that measures exit velocity, launch angle, and other advanced batted ball metrics.

See below for a video of the Trajekt machine in action: 

What’s the price of a Trajekt system and a HitTrax machine? The Associated Press reports, "Each machine costs $15,000 to $20,000 a month as part of a three-year lease”. A HitTrax Pro will only set you back $14,900. Last spring, HitTrax posted a video of Triston Casas using their technology. 

HitTrax Baseball & Softball (@hittraxofficial) • Instagram reel

WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM

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83 likes, 4 comments - hittraxofficial on February 13, 2024: "Red Sox first baseman, Triston Casas gearing up for the season at @thesystem8!! We can’t wait to see him in action during Spring...

How can players use this technology to combat the ongoing pitching evolution? Let’s look at Jarren Duran, for instance. Last year, he struggled against changeups, yielding a 72 wRC+ and 25.0% K-rate. Cole Ragans has a dominant changeup, and Duran has struggled against it. Before facing Ragans in a Royals game, Duran could use a Trajekt machine to work on his approach versus Ragans’ changeups.

Evolving technology helps players evaluate their skill sets and identifies areas of improvement, and the Red Sox have made substantial investments in these advancements. The organization is reaping the benefits of effectively utilizing these tools by pairing Trajekt, Edgertronic, and other cutting-edge technology with former Driveline personnel’s expertise. After revamping their minor league hitting development program, the Red Sox farm system ranks number one according to Baseball America. Keith Law placed them as the second-best farm system behind the Mariners. Investing in the major league roster is as important as building farm system depth. However, leveraging advanced technology to maximize players' capabilities and develop internal resources with a steady talent pipeline reduces the reliance on costly, aging free-agent acquisitions.

During Chaim Bloom's era, fans complained that he neglected the major league roster. Bloom’s tenure will be viewed negatively depending on who you ask, but he poached several Driveline employees to join the Red Sox and modernized the team’s outdated analytics/research department. Craig Breslow inherited Bloom’s overhauled analytics department, hired additional Driveline personnel, and added impact pieces to the major league roster. The Red Sox currently stand in a good position with their state-of-the-art technology infrastructure, robust farm system, and young talent.

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[Bellhorn04]

Another good article, Maddie.

I have to confess to being a dissenter about the value of all the new technology and analytics.  Because I'm not convinced it's making the game better.  First you have the obvious fact that we've seen a huge increase in strikeouts and decrease in balls in play.  The average BA in 2024 was .243.

Second is the injuries, especially to pitchers of course.  The 2024 World Champs had 3 healthy starters in the World Series: Yamamoto, who made 18 starts in the regular season, Buehler, who made 16, and Flaherty, who was a trade deadline pickup.  

Max effort/max velocity/max spin = max injuries.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

27 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Another good article, Maddie.

I have to confess to being a dissenter about the value of all the new technology and analytics.  Because I'm not convinced it's making the game better.  First you have the obvious fact that we've seen a huge increase in strikeouts and decrease in balls in play.  The average BA in 2024 was .243.

Second is the injuries, especially to pitchers of course.  The 2024 World Champs had 3 healthy starters in the World Series: Yamamoto, who made 18 starts in the regular season, Buehler, who made 16, and Flaherty, who was a trade deadline pickup.  

Max effort/max velocity/max spin = max injuries.

And now the dumb Dodgers have a second starting five that is as good as most rotations in the bigs: Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Gavin Stone, Bobby Miller, Landon Knack.

Here's LA's other rotation: Ohtani, Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Sasaki.

Damn, forgot Kershaw.

At least in the playoffs only one guy can throw at a time when Soto is up.

[Bellhorn04]

Case in point:

Per Andrew Parker on X

Red Sox minor league injury news:

Pitcher Matt Duffy has a full tear of his UCL and will undergo Tommy John surgery on March 5th.

2024 draft pick Cole Tolbert also has a UCL tear and will be having Tommy John surgery the same day.

[Brock Beauchamp]

2 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Another good article, Maddie.

I have to confess to being a dissenter about the value of all the new technology and analytics.  Because I'm not convinced it's making the game better.  First you have the obvious fact that we've seen a huge increase in strikeouts and decrease in balls in play.  The average BA in 2024 was .243.

Second is the injuries, especially to pitchers of course.  The 2024 World Champs had 3 healthy starters in the World Series: Yamamoto, who made 18 starts in the regular season, Buehler, who made 16, and Flaherty, who was a trade deadline pickup.  

Max effort/max velocity/max spin = max injuries.

I agree that baseball today is less fun to watch than it was 40 years ago.

But technology or not, the pursuit of optimization is going to happen. Technology just accelerates that pursuit.

The onus falls onto MLB to be the steward of the sport and change rules as front offices "optimize" the sport in unhealthy ways. And until very recently, MLB hadn't done a damned thing to slow down the rapidly-accelerating use of technology to homogenize the game. And that's on them.