Mets Deny AI Pitch-Calling Claims as MLB Blocks Dugout iPad Tabs

Q: How many teams were secretly using AI for in-game decisions before the league's sudden and sweeping ban?

About 10 teams, or roughly one-third of Major League Baseball, were reportedly using dugout iPads for AI-assisted in-game decisions before MLB shut down the practice. That estimate comes from reporting cited in the additional material, which said “as much as a third of the league” used the custom iPad tabs for at least one purpose such as pitch-calling, substitutions or other real-time strategy recommendations. With 30 MLB teams, that points to approximately 10 clubs. The exact number has not been publicly confirmed by MLB, and the league’s review found teams were compliant with the rules as they existed at the time. In other words, clubs were seen as exploiting a loophole rather than violating a clear prohibition. The Mets drew particular attention after former reliever Adam Ottavino said they were the “main team” involved, but reports indicate they were not alone.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 18

Andy Green said before Saturday’s game against Philadelphia that the Mets remain fully compliant with MLB rules, rejecting concerns raised by former reliever Adam Ottavino about in-game AI use.
Ottavino, who pitched for the Mets from 2022-24, said on his “Baseball + Coffee” livestream that the club used an expensive AI program to help pick pitches and had been “cracked down on.”
MLB tightened controls starting Wednesday night, when the second half began, by making custom tabs on dugout iPads inaccessible; the tablets still provide video and league-supplied data.
Green declined to address Ottavino’s specific allegations in detail and said MLB, not the club, determines compliance as the league restricts in-game technology access.