Monday, March 10

JUPITER, Fla. – As part of his cage work for a Grapefruit League matchup with the Nationals, Marlins outfielder Derek Hill stood inside the box and found right-hander Joan Adon staring back at him.  

Wait, what? 

The Trajekt Arc, which is a pitch-replication robot weighing 1,200 pounds, has the ability to move up and down and side to side based on a pitcher’s release slot. Pitcher video (from the hitter’s perspective) is then projected onto the machine’s screen and pitches are fired to hitters via a web app. Using a device, they can track speed, spin, break, exit velocity, launch angle, distance and even balls/strikes.  

“George Lucas was thinking about all this stuff years ago,” manager Clayton McCullough quipped. 

This is exactly what principal owner Bruce Sherman and president of baseball operations Peter Bendix meant by behind-the-scenes investments to improve player development.  

The Marlins had the state-of-the-art machine running for the first time on Wednesday. Another will soon be installed at loanDepot park. The one in Jupiter will be shipped to Triple-A Jacksonville once camp breaks unless the organization is able to procure another.  

According to the Toronto-based company Trajekt Sports, there are over 70 machines circulating in professional baseball across four global leagues.  

“Before even I got hired, they were moving in a direction of investing in technology, investing in different training tools,” said director of hitting Joe Migliaccio, who saw the machine used during his Yankees tenure.

“It’s a really exciting thing to walk into knowing that the org is investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in technology for hitters. Because for years, pitchers have just been so far ahead. Having a tool like Trajekt will certainly help us catch up and put us in a better spot.” 

So how exactly does it work? 

To replicate a pitch, teams have a few methods to upload pitch data into the app. They pair that data with a pitcher video, which results in their dynamic release. Based on the pitch characteristics, the machine will go into a certain configuration using a model -- an algorithm to match pitch characteristics with machine configuration. 

There are no data limits for pro teams; they can upload as much as they feel necessary to get the most benefit from the machine. Many pro teams have video sharing agreements with other clubs. The Marlins’ video department, analysts and hitting coaches will work in tandem to ensure Trajekt’s capabilities are maximized. 

“It looks so realistic that it literally just feels like you're in a game,” Hill said. “I wanted to see, make sure my timing was right where it needed to be, but it took probably three, four pitches for it to feel natural. They got a really good product.” 

Miami has set up the machine 54 1/2-55 feet away for a stationary release distance. That’s when things diverge.  

Say the Marlins want to practice against Braves lefty Chris Sale. The machine will actively operate from the far left side and the hole will adjust to represent Sale’s release point. Trajekt can reinforce the organization’s commitment to making training as game-like as possible. 

“We know the third time through the order becomes a real thing, but hey, if you get enough reps versus someone, does that help what you do against them the first time that you face them?” McCullough said. “Or you're facing relief pitchers later in the game, and you're someone that's going to go take an at-bat versus so and so. Do I have a chance as I'm getting ready to get somewhat free looks, or some training looks at that pitcher before you actually have to go face him?” 

Another major organizational focus is cutting down on the chase rate. Trajekt is a player development tool that can improve that while targeting individual needs – from four-seamers up and in to sliders down and away. 

Rather than rely on scouting reports, batters can witness firsthand everything from kinematic cues to how pitches play off each other.  

“I've used it a little bit,” outfielder Kyle Stowers said. “Baltimore has one at the home field, and it's cool. I think it's a great chance to kind of see a guy's motion and see how their pitches move. Obviously, there's nothing like game action with situations and fans and so on and so forth. But just to get a chance to time someone up, get an idea of what they're doing I think is really cool. I think it's going to be a huge needle mover.” 

 • The Marlins’ nutrition staff is working to improve player health. More > 

 • Miami made its second round of cuts at Major League camp. More > 

 • Where does the Marlins’ farm system rank, according to MLB Pipeline? More > 

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