The independent Atlantic League is the testing grounds for MLB .
And now the two sides have formalized what was already happening informally, as the league and Major League Baseball announced a three-year agreement that will allow MLB to use the independent league as a testbed for rules and equipment changes.
One of them being robo umps.
Say hello to robo-umps and a moved back mound. Expect to see it this year as part of the Atlantic League-MLB agreement.https://t.co/j6dmbsvERQ
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) February 26, 2019
“We are excited to announce this new partnership with the Atlantic League,” MLB senior vice president Morgan Sword said in a statement. “We look forward to bringing some of the best ideas about the future of our game to life in a highly competitive environment.”
Commissioner Rob Manfred told The Athletic last year that the technology will soon make it possible. Manfred said robotic strike zones are becoming increasingly accurate. And MLB ballparks have long since been outfitted with the requisite Trackman systems, which use a series of cameras and radar technology to track the movement and speed of the ball.
Only a matter of time.
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