A headline recently caught my eye—High-tech pitching machine replicates every pitcher. The story is about the next step in the evolution of pitching machines, a device so advanced that it can mimic the performance of real life athletes based on training data.
MLB recently approved the use of the Trajekt Arc pitching machine for batting cages this year. The machine comes from the mind of Canadian inventor Joshua Pope and utilizes public data from MLB’s Statcast system.
It’s a fascinating development in applying sports statistics in a very tangible way. It also represents how artificial intelligence (AI) and automization has found its way even into the world of sports. Baseball players can now target their training against the digital simulacra of specific pitchers perhaps giving them an edge not imaginable in earlier seasons.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say there’s more to come. One can only imagine what other forms AI might take in sports. Will virtual reality find its place in training? Will predictive algorithms design game strategy? We may soon find out.
