What is PitchCom in baseball? Explaining the device used by Shohei Ohtani, other MLB pitchers & how it works

Shohei Ohtani has proven that he can do it all. And on Opening Day, he took that a step further.

The Angels starter was calling his own pitches against the Athletics to begin the 2023 MLB season with rookie catcher Logan O'Hoppe behind the plate.

Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin explained, according to ESPN, that the reason was that because Ohtani throws so many pitches, it can take time for the catcher to pick a pitch with which Ohtani agrees. The result in 2022 was often Ohtani shaking off the catcher and the battery going back and forth before agreeing to something.

With the pitch clock in place in 2023, there isn't enough time for that.

"Shohei's got so many pitches he can throw," Nevin said. "So for him to go through 'em and shake and shake and shake — time's running out because that thing doesn't say it quick enough sometimes."

MORE: How long did games take on Opening Day with new pitch clock?

PitchCom is nothing new. It was first proposed to Major League Baseball in 2020, and it was officially approved for use in the league by the MLB Players Association in 2022. But it has taken on an additional twist in 2023: pitchers can now call their own pitches with the device.

PitchCom is certainly here to stay. It helps communication between batterymates and limits the ability for opponents to steal signs and get an advantage.

What exactly is PitchCom? Here's what you need to know.

What is PitchCom in baseball?

Back in 2022, MLB teams started using a communications device called PitchCom during spring training. By the time the season officially started, it had been approved for use by clubs.

PitchCom is a device worn by pitchers, catchers and up to three other fielders that helps to relay pitch information between the players. One player — typically the catcher, but sometimes the pitcher — has a device that transmits the call for both the pitch and location, and everyone connected has a device that reads to them the call.

According to TechCrunch, the device was originally devised by PitchCom co-founder Craig Filicetti, who had used a wrist-based system to send cues for certain stage effects while he was performing as a mentalist in shows. As a show device, it has been used in 60 countries by thousands, per Filicetti.

But the Astros cheating scandal that involved the team using a video system to steal signs of opponents prompted co-founder John Hankins to consider whether it would be possible to create a system to relay signs that would avoid the risk of sign stealing in baseball.

"Baseball has been trying to solve this issue for a while," Hankins told TechCrunch. "They've had a number of people come in with a lot of different methods to prevent sign stealing. They had buzzers, but counting nine buzzes is going to slow the game down to a crawl, especially if someone shakes it off."

The system was tested in the Low-A minor leagues and in spring training 2022, and it was approved for use starting in the regular season.

Previously, catchers would call for pitches using hand signals when they crouch and set up their glove in the location of the pitch they wanted. The pitcher would either shake the pitch off and call for another signal or agree to the call and deliver the pitch.

That doesn't mean that batterymates won't still call pitches the old fashioned way. On Opening Day, when O'Hoppe was having issues hearing the calls from PitchCom, he called pitches the traditional way in the first inning until the pair had a chance to correct the issues with the devices in the dugout.

How does PitchCom work?

PitchCom starts with the pitch call. The catcher or pitcher wears a device that has nine buttons that can call for a certain pitch or location. Everyone else that has access to the device (the other batterymate and three other fielders) have a receiver.

Players with the controller will input the combination of buttons that correlate to a certain pitch and then a certain location. The other players with the receiver will then hear instructions in their native language on the pitch and location.

For those newer to the PitchCom, there is a cheat sheet on the wristguard holding the device that describes which pitches go with which combinations. However, the more familiar players become with using the devices, the more likely they are to have memorized the combinations they need.

While the device is typically used by catchers to send messages to pitchers and other infielders, there have been recently pitchers that have taken the reins of the device. Ohtani was the latest on Opening Day, and Royals veteran Zack Greinke has also taken to calling his own pitches when he's on the mound.

When Ohtani was calling the pitches, however, he had it underneath his jersey near his shoulder, per ESPN, which meant that he could not see the device. So Ohtani had to memorize exactly how the device was in his sleeve and be able to feel the buttons in his jersey and know which ones meant which pitch.

The other receivers are typically used by a teams' middle infielders and their center fielder. Knowing which pitch is coming can often help a player guess how a batted ball could come out — batters might be late on a fastball and hit it the opposite direction, while if they are early on an off-speed pitch, they are more likely to pull the ball.

What does PitchCom device look like?

The PitchCom device looks like a little remote with nine buttons on it that attach to a wristband. Think Buzz Lightyear's communication device to Star Command.

The receiver is a small, curved device that is able to slide into the brim of a hat above the players' ears.

What does PitchCom sound like?

Part of what makes PitchCom so usable in the majors is that the sound is not some automated robot speaking out a pitch type. The sound can be whatever the user wants it to sound like. As Hankins put it to TechCrunch, "They can put in their grandmothers."

Having the sound customizable could allow a player to input in their own voice or the voice of someone familiar to ensure the player is receiving the pitch in not only the same language, but a familiar dialect to ensure there is no confusion about which pitch to throw.