The Baltimore Orioles signed a baseball tech partnership to analyze swings

Orioles Magic will get some technology added to its brew this season.

The Baltimore Orioles will be implementing bat sensor technology from Carlsbad, Calif.-based Blast Motion, according to a release issued two weeks ahead of Opening Day.

We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Baltimore @Orioles to #TeamBlast!

To learn more, head to the link: https://t.co/PX8AbyjYvy pic.twitter.com/TXZtFnWEZQ

— Blast Baseball (@Blast_Bsbl) March 14, 2019

Blast’s tech assists with player development, analytics and scouting. The bat sensor technology, which is attached to a bat, provides data to help teams evaluate and improve players’ swings. The technology also includes video capture and visualizations of a swing.

The company said the Orioles are the 25th team to sign on, meaning it’s used by more than 80 percent of Major League Baseball teams. That includes the Houston Astros, where new Orioles General Manager Mike Elias and Assistant General Manager (and former NASA engineer) Sig Mejdal previously held leadership positions. Mejdal pointed to a “familiarity” with the tech.

“My previous experience with Blast data has shown value in both player development and scouting by providing swing insights and measureables that translate to batted ball success,” Mejdal said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to leveraging our previous experience with Blast data in Baltimore with our coaches and players.”

Last year, Major League Baseball approved the use of bat sensors during games at the minor league level, allowing a player’s swing to be evaluated using the technology during a competitive situation.

Under the new leadership in the front office following last year’s losing season, the Orioles committed to bringing in analytics to help develop and evaluate players. It’s resulted in the team hiring tech talent ahead of the 2019 season.