5 Entertaining Uses of MLB’s New Statcast Tracking Technology
No. 661 for A-Rod, which came six days later at Yankee Stadium, was somewhat less dramatic, but it was also tracked by Statcast.
Previewed at last year’s All-Star Game, league championship series and World Series, Statcast made its official debut on MLB Network’s April 21 Cardinals-Nationals broadcast. Fans will get to see plenty more of it this season.
Every Major League ballpark is equipped with the technology, which uses optical tracking (a battery of high-resolution cameras set up around the stadium) and radar to measure every movement of the ball and the players. According to MLBAM, Statcast provides “the first-ever reliable measurement of every play on a baseball field.”
While the novelty of knowing how high, far and fast every home run is hit might wear off, the defensive metrics Statcast reveals are, at least, entertaining—and probably useful for scouting purposes. But is the fan experience improved if baseball can quantify exactly how a player makes a great play, or is it more fun just to see it done? (MLB did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how Statcast will affect fan experience or viewership.)
Watch these five Statcast videos and decide for yourself: Watch videos here
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