Prior to the start of the 2022 season, Major League Baseball introduced a new on-field technology called “PitchCom,” which facilitates communication between pitchers and catchers, as well as teammates.
PitchCom was used on a voluntary basis by all 30 teams this season and allowed pitchers to receive signals from the catcher instantaneously. It was implemented in effort to combat sign stealing and to help mitigate violations of the new pitch timer.
Feedback for the game-changing technology was mostly positive and figures to stick around for years to come. The Los Angeles Dodgers were not among the teams that initially used the devices but began doing so during the second half of the 2022 season.
According to Lindsey Adler of the Wall Street Journal, MLB will allow pitches to experiment with a PitchCom remote during 2023 Spring Training games:
Major League Baseball will experiment with adding a Pitchcom remote that pitchers can attach to their belts to call pitches back to the catchers. Right now, catchers can call pitches to the pitcher’s hat band receiver. They’ll test the pitcher remote in spring training.
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) December 6, 2022
With the addition of a PitchCom remote that pitches can attach to their belts, MLB is hoping signal-calling will be even more convenient.
The technology previously was limited to catchers communicating signs via a remote control and speaker system inside a pitcher’s cap.
Dave Roberts believed Dodgers’ home-field advantage would affect opponents’ PitchCom use
As the Dodgers were preparing for their National League Division Series matchup against the San Diego Padres, manager Dave Roberts believed the club’s home-field advantage would make PitchCom use difficult for the opposing team.
“It’s certainly an advantage, but not as much of an advantage if they don’t have to be engaged to the rubber,” Roberts said this season.
“Because if you’re on the rubber and you can’t hear it, you can’t understand it, then there might be a chance to throw a different pitch because you don’t hear well, or a potential balk. But if you’re off the rubber, it’s not as advantageous.”
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