MLB Has Solution to Shorten SlumpsBy, Sean Joseph Grassi II

The excitement of All-Star Weekend is right around the corner starting Sunday, July 10th, starting with the Futures Game. But after the festivities of the All-Star Game, it’s the time of the year where most of the hottest hitting player in the first half of the season start their second half slump. Fortunately, the MLB has found a solution to that problem and possibly balance the game between a pitcher’s league and a hitter’s league.

The MLB has signed a multiyear deal with an industry innovator, Blast Motion. Blast Motion focuses on the fundamentals of the hitter’s swing with senor motion capture and swing analysis that offers solutions to improve the swing. The Blast Baseball system will be featured in this year’s Futures Game and most likely at the beginning of next season or the following season the technology will be available for the farm systems, colligate, and youth leagues.

The President and COO of Blast Motion, Roger Weingarth, talked about the product and the potential of the deal with the MLB saying, “We’ve created a seamless user experience that’s portable, affordable, and user friendly. We’re excited to be partnering with MLB to advance the game of baseball and bring professional-grade technology to athletes of all skillsets. It’s going to be fun watching technology enable a new generation of athletes.”

Blast Baseball is a two part system, a bat knob senor sleeve and a mobile app. The senor is water and sweat proof and is able to analysis the key elements of a hitter’s swing. Also, the mobile app will use the smartphone’s camera to provide a 360° game improvement solution based on the recorded swing statistics and a highlight clip of the hitter’s swing.

With this new technology, it opens the door to more efficient correction sessions with the hitting coach, more effective hitters when faced with a tricky curve again, and a harmless solution to becoming a better player eliminating the use of PED’s and other banned substances.

This is the first sensor designed particularly for the hitters. However, two other sensors have been introduced to the MLB back in April. The first, motusBASEBALL sensor, is designed to monitor pitchers on how hard their arms throw the ball and the stress that effects the arm. This particular sensor is the MLB’s attempt to decrease the number of Tommy John Surgeries to ensure a pitcher’s longevity in the league. The other sensor, the Zephyr Bioharness, tracks the physical statistics of the players i.e. top speed, area covered, heart rate, energy exerted.

The possibilities are endless of how a hitter can improve his swing from the Blast Baseball. Future hitters might be able to emulate Hall of Fame swings and possible combine hitting techniques to ensure an equal balance of power and consistency. Future hitters might be able to smash Home Runs like Hammerin’ Hank, the connectability of Charlie Hustle, and the batting average of The Splendid Splinter. With the MLB leading the way in wearable technology, the future of baseball is shining bright especially under the lights of the Summer Classic.