In MLB this year, you may have seen catchers and pitchers communicating via a PitchCom, a wristband for the catcher that sends an electronic signal to the pitcher to indicate the pitch. MLB conducted tests that proved conclusive, as the practice will be allowed this season in the majors.
Obviously, we should say ‘will be allowed’ and not ‘must’ since it’s not mandatory. The technology may not be 100% perfect everywhere, and some pitchers aren’t yet accustomed to it. Why rush to implement it? Mainly because, in general, it worked, and the players liked the results.
The concept is good, but I find the implementation very premature. Not to mention, we should expect some clever individuals to find loopholes in the system and decode the information meant to stay in the loop between the catcher, the pitcher, and the coach.
But well. Baseball has the feeling that this will reduce sign stealing (a scourge that notably affected the Houston Astros) and that it will help the pace of the games. And since Rob Manfred doesn’t yet have the authority to impose a pitch clock, he’s doing what he can to help the rhythm of the at-bats.
