If you need any proof that Spring Training is more about getting comfortable with new routines as opposed to stats and results, look no further than Marlins starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, whose biggest obstacle during Friday’s start was his own PitchCom. PitchCom, introduced to Major League Baseball in 2022, is a wearable device that transmits signals from catcher to pitcher by pressing buttons. The buttons, of course, are unlabeled to avoid opposing teams stealing signs.
After Cueto’s six-run outing, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said it will take him some time to get used to it. Schumaker said Cueto is still not familiar with which buttons correspond to which pitches, and even had to shake off his own pitch calls after he inadvertently entered the wrong pitch.