2022 SABR Analytics: Watch highlights from the Current Baseball Technology and Future Trends panel
At the SABR Virtual Analytics Conference on Thursday, March 17, 2022, we held a panel discussion on Current Baseball Technology and Future Trends.
Panelists included Seth Daniels, Director of Product for Rapsodo; Jacob Howenstein, a Biomechanical Engineer at BlastMotion; Keenan Long, founder of LongBall Labs; and moderator Eno Sarris of The Athletic.
- Video: Click here to watch a replay of the Current Baseball Technology and Future Trends panel on YouTube
Here are some highlights:
On LongBall Labs
- Long: “We provide MLB hitters with an exit velocity boost by examining and analyzing their bats. No two bats play the same. Our mission is to quantify this inefficiency, correct it, and get that performance back to the player.”
On Rapsodo
- Daniels: “We focus on tracking ball flight and being able to quantify that for players and coaches. … The instant visual feedback allows them to understand and make better adjustments to be repeatable in the process.”
- Sarris: “I find instant feedback super useful in the coaching environment and giving it in a way that is digestible is important.”
On BlastMotion
- Howenstein: “It’s used in games because it’s so critical for them. … It’s seamless and almost invisible to the athlete. It really ends up playing a huge part in the analytics process, coaching process, and having the information to help their development through the minor league system.”
On how measurements/data give answers
- Long: “There is no learning curve for either the player or the coach. Hitting is hard enough as it is, we are just trying to help this process. … We measure the bats and we provide the data. You know which bats to swing and which not to swing.”
On Hawk-Eye development
- Sarris: “Hawk-Eye is going to bring motion capture at the big-league level and give information on the best players in the world. … Teams are just sorting through it and it could change the way they train.”
For more coverage of the SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.
Transcription assistance by Lorenzo Serrato.
Originally published: March 28, 2022. Last Updated: March 28, 2022.