The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Professional Baseball

By Frankie Wallace
Updated: April 20, 2019

Technological developments have played a central role in the transformation of the world as we know it. Innovations that would have been considered outlandish a couple decades ago — such as artificial intelligence (AI) — are becoming mainstays in modern life. For example, worldwide investment in machine learning and AI is expected to reach over $57.6 billion by 2021.

Even baseball has evolved with the rise of such technological advancements. Artificial intelligence have changed multiple facets of how the game in played, analyzed, and watched. These advancements have helped tech-savvy managers capitalize on powerful players and bring greater victory to their teams.

If you are a baseball fanatic, it is worthwhile to understand the means by which technology is changing the game and how you are experiencing it. Three key areas where AI is making a difference are in scouting new players, training and health of current players, and baseball marketing. The next time you see something amazing happen out on the field, you might be able to cite AI as a possible contributor.

Scouting Advancements

From the beginning of any athlete’s collegiate or professional career, artificial intelligence use is in play. With AI, it is easier than ever to collect specific information on certain players, such as the average speed and angle at which they hit a baseball or the acceleration of the fielder that catches the ball and how rapidly they are able to throw in the out. All of this information gives data analytics professionals the ability to create insights for recruiters, giving them more information about prospects than ever before.

This exact technique is how the Oakland Athletics held their own against far more powerful teams in the MLB in 2002 with a 20-game winning streak. The general manager, Billy Beane, used statistical data and AI analytics to build a strong team with a limited budget. By utilizing analytics, he was able to find the right combination of players that led to noteworthy success and got many other general managers interested in the technology.

Analytics can comb through a vast amount of data far more quickly than any human could dream of. Today, nearly every team has someone behind the computer, running the numbers. The technology may also help to pick up players that would have otherwise been overlooked, bringing even more talent into the professional sphere.

Training and Health

Once athletes have made it into the professional league, the use of AI to track them does not stop. If anything, it intensifies. Now, rather than simply tracking performance statistics, AI technologies are working to identify techniques and training that can improve performance. Additionally, it is monitoring player’s health during practice, after games, and throughout periods of recovery from injuries.

A new tool that has recently become popular for training in baseball is augmented or virtual reality. Now, managers and coaches can use statistical data they have collected on pitchers to create a VR simulation that allows batters to practice. Hitters are able to work over and over on particular throws by specific pitchers until they have each one mastered.

The healthiest teams stand the best chance of making it furthest in playoff games. For this reason, AI is now being used to collect information on athlete health, such as sleeping patterns. The amount of sleep people get can have a big impact on their health and physical performance; not getting enough sleep can compromise your immune system, increase your risk of developing chronic diseases, and negatively impact your ability to perform mental and physical tasks. This clearly can have severe impacts on athletic performance. Having information about the sleep of each player can help coaches make better decisions about who is playing and when.

Sports Marketing and Fan Interaction

Major advancements in AI technologies are making jobs easier for many people across all industries. Those in baseball marketing are no different. Now more than ever before, the seats right behind the home bench are not necessarily the best seats in the house. Beyond the players and coaches, AI is starting to make a major difference in how the fans experience baseball.

Broadcasting tech and smartphones have made it easy to stay up on every game and see everything from multiple angles without even leaving the couch. Drones have made this even better with their ability to more closely follow players movements on and off the field. Certain AI and analytics software can even help to determine the best sequence of shots that will best display replays and questionable calls.

The MLB is even tapping into Amazon’s AI platform to offer a greater number of real-time statistics to fans and give them a greater sense of involvement with the intricacies of the game. New developments on the horizon, such as improved integration with Google Glass, may enable fans to always have some level of statistical analysis in front of them. Smart stadiums may also offer similar advancements.

Overall, the ways in which players, managers, coaches, and fans understand baseball are changing. AI is providing valuable information in all aspects of the game, from player scouting, to training and health, to fan involvement. Baseball has long been a sport based upon statistics, and that is likely to become even more important in the future.