Major League Baseball’s recent ban on AI assistants in dugouts overlooks that the technology is simply the next step in baseball’s long tradition of using better information for competitive advantage. | USA TODAY / VIA REUTERS
Jul 28, 2026
Fresh off the recent All-Star break, Major League Baseball took aim at artificial intelligence. As the season resumed, clubs were barred from using AI assistants in the dugout.
It wasn’t a preemptive move — the technology is already here. This summer, reports emerged that the New York Mets spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a custom AI assistant to steer pitch selection and other in-game decisions. The result? Another losing record. But according to The Athletic, the hapless Mets aren’t alone. As many as one-third of the league’s clubs are trying for an in-game AI edge.
Nobody wants a chatbot managing a baseball game. At least, they shouldn’t. But baseball has seen versions of this story before. For decades, the game has rewarded teams that use information better than their opponents. AI is simply the latest tool in that evolution. MLB shouldn’t overreact and treat it as a threat to the game’s existence.
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