Calling His Shot: Angels' Mike Trout Debuting Signature Smart Bat During Spring Training

Angels CF Mike Trout is the first pro baseball player "to have his own signature smart bat, which he is debuting during Spring Training" in Tempe this year, according to Hayley Ringle of the PHOENIX BUSINESS JOURNAL. Trout has partnered with San Jose-based Zepp Labs, which has developed a "multi-sport sensor that is placed inside the bottom of the bat." Zepp and Trout have also teamed with Tennessee-based Old Hickory Bat Company for the "Mike Trout Old Hickory Smart Bat." The sensor will "also be used for softball, tennis and golf to help athletes and coaches with performance data." As Trout swings his smart bat, the sensor "gives detailed analytics on his swing with 1,000 data points." Five metrics "give the player and coach instant information to make slight adjustments." The data "can be seen on an app, including impact bat speed, hand speed max, time to impact, bat vertical angle and attack angle/the direction the bat goes to the ball." Zepp VP/Marketing Pat Nicholson said that the "next logical step is to bring these tools to minor and youth leagues to give younger players instant data." He expects '16 to be the "year of the smart bat with more announcements to come from other companies" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/29).