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The MLB has been plagued by sign-stealing in recent years, most notably by the Houston Astros, who went on to win the World Series back in 2017, while they were in the midst of a scandal. Other teams, such as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, have been accused, though neither team seemed to take the lengths that the Astros did. In an effort to ensure that such cheating never occurs again, the MLB is planning to implement sign-stealing devices in 2022, as reported by ESPN.
Pitchers and catchers will have the option of using newly tested signaling devices as they decide what pitches to throw in the upcoming regular season, industry sources told ESPN.
This technology could help to advance Major League Baseball beyond the risk of the sign-stealing scandals that have plagued the sport in the past decade.
The devices, called PitchCom, are basically pads with buttons on the wrist of a catcher's gloved hand. Catchers can then signal the pitch and the location through the sign-stealing device, which will then relay that information to the pitcher through a listening device.
Three teammates can also have use of the device during games to aid in defensive positioning. The league reportedly sent memos to teams about the approved usage of the devices in 2022 on Tuesday.
PitchCom seems like viable technology that won't get fooled by any attempts to hoodwink it, such as with trash cans and an intricate dugout system, a la the Astros.
The MLB is hoping this will be the end of their sign-stealing problem.
