NEW YORK, July 17 — A memo sent last month by Major League Baseball executive vice president Morgan Sword has restricted the use of a custom tablet application that, according to the league, had expanded beyond its original design parameters. The restriction takes effect today, the start of the second half of the 2024 season.
The June 11, 2024 memo from Sword noted that the custom tab, introduced after MLB and Apple partnered in 2016 to provide iPads to all teams for in-game video and data access, had allowed teams to load third-party applications. That capability, the memo stated, had expanded use beyond the original intentions for the devices.
The timeline of technology integration in baseball dugouts shows a gradual shift from manual to digital tools. Early use included paper charts and printed scouting reports. By the 2000s, teams began using laptops and video replay systems.
The 2016 Apple partnership initially provided tablets intended for reviewing past plays and statistics. By 2023, according to sources familiar with the matter, some teams reportedly used artificial intelligence models on these tablets to analyze opponent tendencies and suggest optimal defensive shifts or pitch sequences.
This represents a significant escalation from the original purpose of the devices. The record shows that the custom tab introduced later allowed teams to load third-party applications, which created the pathway for AI-driven recommendations. The June 2024 memo from Sword acknowledged this expanded use and led to the restriction effective today.
The history of this technology integration shows a clear pattern. Baseball has gradually integrated technology into dugouts over decades, moving from paper to laptops to tablets, and now to AI-driven recommendations that MLB now seeks to curb. The custom tab’s ability to load third-party applications was the key mechanism that allowed teams to move beyond simple video review and statistical lookup.
According to the filing, this capability enabled the development and deployment of AI models that could analyze opponent tendencies in real time. The restriction comes at a critical point in the season.
With the second half beginning today, teams must adjust their in-game technology use immediately. The memo did not specify what penalties, if any, teams would face for violating the new restriction. This development raises questions about the future of technology in baseball.
The sport has long grappled with the balance between innovation and competitive fairness. The 2016 Apple partnership was seen as a major step forward in modernizing the game, but the subsequent expansion of the custom tab’s capabilities has created new challenges for league officials.
Sources familiar with the matter indicate that the league’s concern centers on the use of AI models to provide real-time strategic recommendations. This goes beyond simply accessing data or reviewing past plays, moving into the realm of in-game decision-making assistance. The restriction effective today represents the league’s attempt to reset the boundaries of permitted technology use in dugouts.
Whether teams will find new ways to push those boundaries remains to be seen. For now, the immediate impact is clear: the custom tab’s expanded functionality is no longer available. Teams must return to the original parameters of the 2016 agreement, using tablets primarily for reviewing past plays and statistics.
The broader implications for the sport are significant. Technology has become deeply integrated into baseball operations, from scouting to player development to in-game strategy.
The league’s decision to restrict one specific application may signal a larger reassessment of how technology should be used during games. As the second half begins today, all eyes will be on how teams adapt to the new restrictions and whether the league will take further steps to define the role of technology in the dugout.
