MLB will dip into a technology bag of tricks this season to aid players and engage fans

The unplugged, pastoral side to baseball, with its hickory bats, Kentucky bluegrass, rawhide, and western Pennsylvania dirt, isn’t going away.

But as Major League Baseball reckons with an aging audience and an on-field product that is trying the patience of even its most loyal acolytes, it is pouring resources into an innovative suite of computerized, cloud-based, cutting-edge, and focus-group-tested products. Some will show up at our seats, on our screens, and on the diamond, while others will hum invisibly just under the hood.

High- or low-tech, the changes MLB’s strategy and technology team unveiled this week for the 2021 season are meant to keep players productive and fans engaged while keeping the game looking as artisanal as possible.

▪ “Spin rate” is so yesterday: Ball-tracking Hawk-Eye technology is so advanced now that high-speed cameras can measure not only the spin rate of balls but also spin axis and spin orientation. Brace yourself for talk of “SSW,” or seam-shifted wake, which addresses nagging questions some have about how the turbulence that trails a thrown or batted ball impacts its movement.

▪ In-game video use is back, even in Boston and Houston: The sign-stealing, trash-can-banging scandals that erupted after the 2019 World Series meant no dugout iPads and live video monitoring last season. Now, mainly to help batters make in-game adjustments, at-bats can be replayed under controlled circumstances with MLB-controlled iPads. Video clips won’t be available until after each half-inning, and they will be edited to remove the catcher’s signs.

▪ See how the wind blows: No more guessing about wind-aided home runs or fly balls that got knocked back by a gust. Ballpark sensors and Statcast technology will allow for precise measurements of wind speed and direction at every elevation in a ballpark. If a hit ball hits the jet stream, you’ll know it.

▪ Automated strike zones are the future: Among the experiments MLB will conduct in the minor leagues this year is a robotic strike zone, with plate umpires relaying what the computer sees. MLB feels comfortable that the technology is getting pretty close to game-ready, but it wants to tweak it based on feedback from players and umpires.

The current test system uses a two-dimensional “plane” at the front of home plate as the strike zone. The size of the zone is based on the player’s height: 56 percent of height for top of zone, 28 percent for bottom of zone. Player height statistics provided by teams will be monitored closely.

▪ Players are people, too: MLB said more than 1,000 players have signed up for its “Player Social Program.” MLB will provide photos, video highlights, and audio snippets to players to post on their personal social media accounts and ideally deepen those virtual ties with fans.

MLB also is going to expand its “MLB Originals” content, posting personality-focused videos on YouTube, MLB.TV, and elsewhere. Also, the “Xavier Scruggs” podcast will air by mid-April, featuring interviews with players about pivotal moments in their career.

▪ Freedom of speech footwear: Players will be able to design and wear cleats to their liking, with no restrictions on coloring. As long as they’re deemed positive, written messages on shoes that call attention to social justice, social change, and support for essential workers will be allowed.

▪ Screen reboots: On Opening Day, MLB.com will get a facelift intended to de-clutter its current look and allow for more videos and personalized content. MLB.TV will cater more to viewers’ particular interests. If a Red Sox fan in California wants Red Sox content, MLB.TV should be able to provide it.

▪ Bet on it: With sports betting legal in more and more states — though still not prevalent — MLB continues preparing for the day when it becomes ubiquitous. It has a “fantasy” game called “Rally” that allows users to predict outcomes of at-bats as well as games. Correct guesses earn points, which translate into cash prizes — which is not at all betting on sports.

Michael Silverman can be reached at michael.silverman@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeSilvermanBB.

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