Key Takeaways
- The St. Louis Cardinals are utilizing various technologies to improve player performance and reduce injuries.
- These technologies include force plates, arm care strength and range of motion sensors, Trackman, and Rapsodo.
- The team is also using motion capture technology, high-speed cameras, and wearable devices to track player movement and workload.
- The goal of these technologies is to build a performance model that tracks travel and fatigue management and in-game demands.
- The Cardinals are working to integrate these technologies into their system to gain a competitive edge.
Introduction to Baseball Technology
While waiting for the player logjam to clear, the author has been researching the various technologies used by the St. Louis Cardinals to improve player performance and reduce injuries. The team has been somewhat secretive about their use of technology, so the author had to resort to listening to player and front office interviews, as well as searching for job postings and attending bio-mechanics conferences. Through this research, the author has compiled a list of the various technologies used by the Cardinals, including force plates, arm care strength and range of motion sensors, Trackman, and Rapsodo.
Force Plates and Arm Care
The Cardinals are using force plates, such as those produced by Forcedecks, to measure the acceleration and deceleration of players. These plates come in several versions, including a flat plate for measuring jumps, a modified mound with front and back plates for measuring ground reaction forces, and a wall plate for measuring strength along different points of the arm’s throwing path. The team is also using arm care strength and range of motion sensors to measure release point strength and determine range of motion exercises to increase range and strength. These sensors are believed to reduce elbow stress and elbow injuries.
Trackman and Rapsodo
The Cardinals are also using Trackman, a doppler radar technology that tracks pitches and hits for velocity, launch angle, and spin rates. This technology is used in all MLB parks and provides real-time data to observers. The team is also using Rapsodo, a ball flight monitor that delivers accurate, real-time swing data, including exit velocity, launch angle, and spin rate. Rapsodo is portable and can be set up and taken down, making it a useful tool for the team.
Motion Capture Technology and High-Speed Cameras
The Cardinals are using motion capture technology, such as Kinatrax, to capture kinetic movement by players in-game. This technology works at a distance and provides precise 3D joint location and bone segment orientation during sporting activities. The team is also using high-speed cameras to capture really fast movements, such as the spin and path of the ball. These cameras can capture images at up to 2,000 frames per second, allowing for detailed analysis of player movement.
Wearable Devices and Workload Management
The Cardinals are also using wearable devices, such as the Driveline Pulse Compression sleeve, to measure throwing intensity and count all throws. These devices are integrated into the fabric of the player’s clothing and provide real-time data to the team. The team is also using sensor edge and vibe pressure plates in shoes to measure workload and capture the cumulative effect of player movement. The Catapult Vector S7 GPS measures all movements, including typical workload and short-term workloads, to see when players might be over-worked.
Health and Welfare Monitoring
The Cardinals are using the volumes of data produced by these technologies to monitor workload, identify increasing injury risk potential, general fatigue, and in-game demands. For example, the team can use the ASH test done with wall plates to identify a pitcher’s optimal extension and then routinely test the pitcher to see if the results are moving away from baseline in a way that suggests fatigue or low-level injury. This allows the team to take proactive steps to prevent injuries and improve player performance.
Conclusion
The St. Louis Cardinals are at the forefront of baseball technology, utilizing a variety of tools to improve player performance and reduce injuries. From force plates to wearable devices, the team is working to integrate these technologies into their system to gain a competitive edge. In the next article, the author will introduce some of the Cardinal personnel who are working to make sense of all this data and build a performance model that tracks travel and fatigue management and in-game demands.
