Trackman is a ball tracking technology that utilizes 3D Doppler radar to track the location and movement of pitches and batted balls. Trackman offers two separate units; a Stadium unit and a Portable unit. Stadium units were first installed in MLB ballparks in the early 2010’s.
Portable units were introduced more recently as a way to provide Trackman data as a cost-effective and portable option. These units do not collect as much data that stadium units can, however the portable unit can be moved around for any setting making it great in a practice type situation.
Player Development Applications
Trackman derives movement metrics by using the Doppler radar technology to track a ball over the entire trajectory of its path from release point through the end of any given play. From this, Trackman can directly measure ball movement characteristics. This method of ball tracking is inverse to technologies like Rapsodo, which uses images of the ball captured over a specific distance to predict the total trajectory.
Pitching
Pitchers can use Trackman data to analyze their pitch arsenal, use data in real-time to drive pitch design, and measure progress throughout the year. Here are some examples of pitching data points:
Pitch release metrics include velocity, release slot, release angles, release height, and extension.
Pitch flight metrics include spin rate, vertical/horizontal movement, and spin axis.
Zone location metrics include vertical/horizontal approach angle, velocity at approach, plate height, and location.
Hitting
Trackman is valuable because it can measure both pitching and hitting metrics at the same time. Some hitting metrics Trackman can identify are exit velocity, launch angle, distance, launch direction, plate location, flight trajectory and contact depth.
Using this data, hitters can evaluate whether their current swing is producing desirable batted ball results at a deeper level than some other pieces of technology.
Professional Usage
Trackman was replaced in all MLB stadiums in 2020 by Hawkeye, a more comprehensive tracking technology company. You can still find Trackman stadium units in use across multiple minor league stadiums, amateur stadiums, and other professional leagues.
Conclusion
Trackman is an effective high-end ball tracking technology with many applications in player development. The large price tag may restrict its usage toward high-level organizations, but the quality of data can be a huge addition to those who have the opportunity to use it.
Related Links
https://www.drivelinebaseball.com/2016/11/rapsodo-trackman-pitch-tracking-technologies-stand/
https://trackman.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002776787-What-is-TrackMan-Data
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