Robo-hurler helping Yankees to outsmart Guardians’ bullpen strength

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Alex Verdugo, the New York Yankees’ left fielder, showcased the importance of advanced preparation in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals. His pivotal single off Michael Wacha was influenced by his pre-game training with the Trajekt pitching machine.

Verdugo noted that many Yankees hitters utilized this state-of-the-art device, located near their clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, prior to the game. The Trajekt machine offers a realistic simulation of facing major league pitchers, projecting a life-sized video of the pitcher and replicating their exact release points and pitch characteristics.

While acknowledging that the simulation cannot fully replicate a live at-bat, Verdugo stressed its effectiveness in helping batters understand what to expect from specific pitchers. “We know it’s not going to be like the real thing,” the outfielder revealed, “but it just gives you a better idea.”

This preparation will be crucial as the Yankees gear up to face the Guardians in the American League Championship Series, particularly given the strength of Cleveland’s bullpen. The Guardians’ relief corps is widely recognized as one of the best remaining in the playoffs.

Statistical evidence highlights the prowess of Cleveland’s bullpen. Relievers Cade Smith and Emmanuel Clase ranked first and fifth, respectively, in fWAR among all MLB relievers this season. Smith posted an impressive 1.91 ERA over 74 appearances, while Clase, the team’s closer, recorded 47 saves—second-most in MLB—with an outstanding 0.61 ERA in 74 games.

The Yankees’ offense, which relies heavily on power hitters like Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Giancarlo Stanton, faces a daunting challenge against this formidable bullpen. Cleveland’s relievers have shown exceptional ability to limit home runs, allowing the lowest rate in the league at 0.74 per nine innings. They also boasted the lowest batting average on balls in play at .257 and stranded the highest percentage of runners at 78.5%.

Moreover, the Guardians’ bullpen ERA of 2.57 was more than half a run better than the next-best team, the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished with a 3.11 ERA. These statistics underscore the significant challenge ahead for the Yankees’ offense as they prepare to confront Cleveland’s relief pitchers in the ALCS.

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt is recognized for his strategic reliance on relief pitchers, with the team’s bullpen leading Major League Baseball in total appearances at 593. This approach is underscored by the fact that Guardians’ starting pitchers ranked 24th in innings pitched, totaling 805.

Given this strategy, the Yankees must devise effective plans to counter Cleveland’s well-utilized and skilled relief corps. The Trajekt pitching machine could play a crucial role in the Yankees’ preparation.

Yankees’ tech edge against Guardians’ bullpen

Yankees manager Aaron Boone highlighted the significance of the Trajekt system as a training resource, “It’s really a valuable tool.” The team’s batting cages, which house two machines including a Trajekt, are conveniently located near the dugout entrance. During games, assistant hitting coaches Pat Roessler and Casey Dykes typically manage the cages while primary hitting coach James Rowson remains in the dugout.

Joshua Pope, CEO and co-founder of Trajekt Sports Inc. explained that teams input specific data about pitchers into the company’s database, allowing the machine to replicate a pitcher’s spin, movement, and velocity. Each machine costs between $15,000 and $20,000 per month as part of a three-year lease.

The Trajekt system enables Yankees players to practice against simulations of pitchers they are scheduled to face. This season marks the first time MLB has allowed the use of Trajekt during games.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole shared his experience with the Trajekt, recalling a simulation of his own pitches from a couple of years ago. He found the replication to be precise, noting that the machine effectively mimicked his delivery and pitch timing.

Cole emphasized that the machine gives hitters insight into a pitcher’s cadence, suggesting it could significantly enhance batters’ preparation and timing against specific pitchers.

“It certainly gives (a hitter) a cadence,” he said. “It was like, ‘Yeah, that’s probably right. That’s what I would imagine I look like.’”

Austin Wells, a catcher in the New York Yankees’ farm system, utilized the Trajekt machine during his stint at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2023. This experience allowed him to acclimate to the movement and velocity of pitches from the entire Yankees’ major league pitching staff before his promotion to the big leagues.

Shortstop Anthony Volpe underscored the machine’s value during the team’s bye week while preparing for the Kansas City Royals. He explained that he frequently uses the Trajekt during games to simulate facing the current pitcher or potential relievers, effectively allowing him to “play the game” an inning or two in advance.

Volpe noted that the Trajekt system has helped players become visually familiar with a diverse array of pitchers, a crucial advantage when facing elite relievers such as Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith of the Cleveland Guardians.

Infielder Jon Berti acknowledged that while some players prefer not to hit directly off the machine, many find it beneficial for gaining a sense of a pitcher’s timing and delivery. He emphasized that the tool provides an opportunity to develop an understanding of what they might encounter on the field.

James Rowson, the Yankees’ hitting coach, does not expect a significant uptick in the machine’s usage during the upcoming series against the Guardians, citing that most players are committed to their established routines at this point in the season. However, he recognized the potential benefits of the Trajekt in helping batters visualize a pitcher’s delivery and release point, even if it cannot perfectly replicate live pitching.

“Some guys are using it for the video,” the Yankees’ hitting coach explained, “and you see the pitcher’s delivery a little bit. I think you can get some benefit out of seeing release point, having an idea of where the ball is going to come out, even though there is no perfect science. But it will give you context.”

Berti illustrated a scenario in which a player might use the Trajekt to simulate an at-bat against a closer like Clase in the eighth inning, preparing for a potential ninth-inning encounter. He summarized the team’s approach to utilizing the technology as a means to ensure players feel ready and equipped to perform.

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