Major League Baseball is partnering with Apple to bring iPads to dugouts and bullpens for players to use during games. The league announced the news on Wednesday, saying that players, coaches and managers will have access to statistics and data that can be customized on each device.
The 30 teams in the league will receive 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablets to use, and those devices will come with a customized app called "MLB Dugout." Major League Baseball previously was strict about using computers and other technology in dugouts during games. ESPN reports that the league created a secure network for each team to use at every ballpark so that the "integrity of the game" wouldn't be compromised.
"We think technology will make the decisions faster and better," said commissioner Rob Manfred.
MLB lifted its ban on smartphones, tablets and laptops in the dugout, but the new devices will only be allowed to be used for in-game analysis. Teams are not required to use the iPads. Other sports leagues have partnered with technology companies to bring devices to the sidelines, including the NFL with Microsoft. The two struck a deal for a reported $80 million for coaches to use Surface tablets during games.
The baseball season starts on Sunday with three games on the schedule, including a rematch of the World Series. The New York Mets will visit the Kansas City Royals on Sunday night in a game that will be on ESPN. The other games on the schedule include the St. Louis Cardinals taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates, while the Toronto Blue Jays will visit the Tampa Bay Rays.
Opening Day continues with matchups on Monday, and almost every team in the league will be in action, but not the Royals and Mets. The New York Yankees and Houston Astros kick things off with a 1 pm ET game at Yankee Stadium in a rematch of the 2015 American League Wild Card game. Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel will be facing off against Masahiro Tanaka in that game, which will be broadcast on ESPN.
Some of the other notable matchups for Opening Day include the Washington Nationals taking on the Atlanta Braves, the Chicago Cubs playing the Los Angeles Angels, and the Boston Red Sox visiting their former manager Terry Francona and the Cleveland Indians. The Seattle Mariners will visit the Texas Rangers, and that game has aces Felix Hernandez and Cole Hamels scheduled to start.
