MLB Scouts are Using 3D Motion Tracking on IPhones to Identify Top Prospects

Sep 15, 2023 | Sports

A man in a batting cage being tracked by iPhone cameras

OUR TAKE

Baseball is a game of tradition, with unwritten rules and dedicated fans who are critical of any changes, the game has looked and felt the same for a while. The scouting process however, is changing. Whether it be wearable devices that track the physical condition of a player or Uplift’s efficient motion capture technology, the league is relying more and more on technology and AI to help identify the top players, taking a more analytical approach to scouting.

Source Summary

At the end of June, MLB announced a deal with Uplift Labs that is bringing the company’s movement tracking technology to the minor leagues, to help with player scouting. The tech uses 3D motion capture to better analyze player movement, uncovering players with the best mechanics and highlighting areas needing improvement. MLB’s senior director of Baseball Operations, Bill Francis, says this type of analysis has “traditionally been… time consuming (and) labor intensive”, having relied on expensive camera equipment, and that Uplift Labs has made the process “more efficient”, using just IPhones or IPads to capture the same 3D biomechanics.

[Tech Crunch]