Jay Bruce wore a great T-shirt on Monday that appears to show he and the Seattle Mariners are embracing the analytics wave that is taking over Major League Baseball.
The Mariners were determined to not be left behind when it comes to using data to increase their chances of success on the baseball field. They have a staff with areas of focus such as pitch evaluation, catching, offensive approach, holistic evaluation, and injury prediction.
Prior to Monday’s game against the New York Yankees, Mariners outfielder Jay Bruce came to the stadium wearing a shirt that read “Marinerds” on the front. It also contained the words “elevate and celebrate” on the back, with a launch angle graphic, according to MLB.com’s David Adler.
While analytics has been the new movement in baseball, some have seen it as a detriment. The New York Mets thought last year their reliance on it contributed to struggles. The Philadelphia Phillies reportedly believed one of their players became distracted by an overemphasis on stats and analytics.
Hopefully for the Mariners, the increased focus brings more good than bad. So far this season it seems to be working.
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