On-Field Batting Practice Is Dead. Here’s How All-Star Sluggers Prepare to Hit. - Sports Illustrated

What the report says

Sports Illustrated reports that major league hitters are increasingly moving away from traditional on-field batting practice and toward individualized, technology-heavy routines designed for today’s pitching environment. The story, based on interviews with 10 All-Star hitters at the Midsummer Classic, says the common themes were heavy use of advanced pitching machines, video and scouting information, and less reliance on coaches throwing slower pregame pitches on the field.

The report frames the shift around the growing difficulty of hitting in MLB. Sports Illustrated cited rising average four-seam fastball velocity over the past decade, declining fastball usage, and a wider mix of breaking and off-speed pitches. The outlet also noted that several of the lowest first-half league batting averages since the designated hitter era began have come in the past five seasons, underscoring how pitchers’ expanding arsenals have changed preparation.

A key tool is the Trajekt machine, which Sports Illustrated says can simulate individual pitchers’ release points, spin and pitch shapes, though it is mainly available to home teams and is expensive to lease. Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana and Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement described using it to get an early feel for an opposing starter. Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler said he has not taken conventional on-field batting practice this year, instead favoring cage work and machine work when needed.

Not every hitter has embraced the machines. Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman told Sports Illustrated he avoids machine hitting and keeps the same daily routine built around flips and a swing-path drill, saying he prefers seeing a human arm. The broader takeaway is that hitter preparation is becoming more tailored, blending analytics, video, machines and feel rather than one shared pregame ritual.