Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
According to the New York Post, Mets’ owner Steve Cohen has splurged for a high-tech pitching machine that only a handful of other teams in the major leagues have.
The state-of-the-art pitching machine can replicate the delivery and all of the pitches from whatever pitcher the Mets select in the program. Mets hitting coach Eric Chavez says that only three-to-four teams already have this technology. “[The machine] will be the pitcher, so if we draw up Clayton Kershaw we will be facing Kershaw, his windup and everything and his pitches.”
Chavez notes that MLB rules prohibit using the machine during the game.
Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo is impressed with Cohen’s dedication to spending wherever he can to help the Mets franchise. “That’s one of the huge differences we have seen from the start,” Nimmo said. “If it’s going to help the team succeed then [Cohen] is willing to do it, so it really doesn’t come down to a cost factor.”
Cohen has made it clear from the start that he’s willing to spend outside of just the players on the field and that he’s also looking for any advantage he can provide the Mets. He has already proved that early on by taking the Mets from one of the smaller analytics teams in baseball to an organization that now has 44 folks in the research and development department.
Mets’ director of amateur scouting Mark Tramuta talked to us recently about how the Mets organization has been approaching (and will continue to do so) with a great combination of scouting and analytics.
High tech pitching machines, a huge analytics department, and the largest team payroll in baseball, it looks like Cohen is going to do whatever he can to make sure the Mets are a long-term winner. Certainly a welcome change to Mets fans and players.
