Madison Bumgarner of the Giants pitches against the Diamondbacks in the top of the first inning at AT&T Park on Sept. 16, 2017. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants are keeping a close watch on Madison Bumgarner, with both human and electronic eyes. As well as having manager Bruce Bochy and pitching coach Curt Young in attendance for sessions in the bullpen, the Giants have been using a Rapsodo pitch-tracking device positioned behind the plate and a high-speed camera behind Bumgarner’s left shoulder.
The Giants left-hander broke a finger when his left hand was hit by a line drive in spring training. He made his return at nearby Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday, and is scheduled to start for the Class A San Jose Giants on Thursday. That could change if San Francisco decides to bring him back into the major-league rotation on Friday. The data collected from bullpen sessions won’t yet influence that decision, though.
“I was trying it out. I was just curious about it, really,” Bumgarner said according to NBC Bay Area. “It tracks everything. Where the ball goes through the zone, release point, it gets your hand coming through in super slow motion. You can adjust if you need to. You’re not going to get a better look at [your pitches]. It’s info to have, and that’s what I was curious about.”
The Giants have been experimenting with this setup since January. The team took baseline data on 15 of its pitchers at spring training, although Bumgarner wasn’t among that group. Trainer Dave Groeschner envisions that in the future, though, comparing an injured pitcher’s numbers with data from when they were healthy will help understand the best plan for rehab.
“We’re just trying to use it with as many guys as we can,” Groeschner told NBC. “I think eventually, when we get more baseline results, it’ll help us with guys returning from injury. There are a lot of things you can take out of the numbers.”
SportTechie Takeaway
Several other MLB teams are already using Rapsodo, including the Astros, Indians, and Phillies. Veteran reliever Craig Breslow used the device after the 2016 season as he plotted a return to the big leagues. Breslow had been signed and released by both the Marlins and Rangers that year, and figured he needed to tune up his breaking ball and his sinker. He played 37 MLB games for the Twins and Indians in 2017, but is now back in the minors with the Blue Jays.
