MLB 2019 Preview: ESPN Continues To Up Its Virtual Game With More K-Zone 3D, Statcast Graphics The new season promises a packed start, many marquee events By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Thursday, March 28, 2019 - 3:04 pm
Print This Story
Story Highlights
As ESPN throws out the first pitch on its 30th season of live Major League Baseball coverage today, the network is more focused than ever on using data and virtual technology to differentiate its coverage and bring the game into the modern era. After committing to using K-Zone live on every pitch in 2015 and using K-Zone 3D on all games last year, ESPN is continuing to find new ways to leverage MLB Advanced Media's growing stable of Statcast data to better visualize the on-field story for viewers at home.
ESPN continues to increase its use of MLBAM's Statcast in its coverage
I think we're in an era when we're moving from interesting surface-level statistical notes to deeper analytics that give you a different level of insight into how the game is being played, says Phil Orlins, senior coordinating producer, MLB. And I'm really excited because we've created a virtual environment to visualize those insights. We've made some big strides on the virtual side with the advancement of K Zone 3D, Hit Tracker, and Statcast live virtual [elements]. As the data keeps advancing, we're going to be able to visualize it in even more-incredible ways moving forward.
Evolution of K-Zone 3D: Miniboards, Hit Track, Deeper Pitch Analysis
Developed by ESPN's Visual Technology Group, K-Zone 3D uses a virtual-camera system and virtual strike zone to create an immersive K-Zone experience. Set inside a virtualized 3D stadium and using MLBAM Statcast data, K-Zone 3D allows ESPN to spin the camera angle anywhere around home plate to offer greater transparency in pitch analysis.
ESPN's K-Zone 3D Hit Track virtual graphic debuted for the 2018 NL Wild Card Game
During last year's NL Wild Card game, ESPN began experimenting with inserting a K-Zone 3D graphic in the scorebug in addition to using it full-screen. Although Orlins says viewers shouldn't expect it during this weekend's Dodgers-Rockies Sunday Night Baseball matchup, ESPN will continue to be aggressive with this tactic as the season progresses.
ESPN also rolled out the K-Zone 3D Hit Track virtual graphic during the 2018 NL Wild Card Game, displaying the launch angle, exit velocity, apex, and distance of a hit as a three-dimensional animation. Just like K-Zone 3D elements, Hit Track graphics are available within a few seconds of the ball's being hit - meaning that they can be incorporated into the first replay sequence after a key hit.
This is all data that came in with Statcast in 2015, so it's by no means new data. But our ability to execute this within the first replay sequence, which we did have at the Wild Card Game with a full vivid three-dimensional animation, is very cool. The data isn't groundbreaking anymore, but the visualization of that in such a short time frame is a huge storytelling tool for us.
ESPN also continues to advance K Zone 3D's ability to visualize the movement of a pitch compared with the league average, using MLB PitchCast data. Though noting that consistent use of these elements is still a couple months away (a half dozen appeared on SNB telecasts last year), Orlins sees a huge benefit to viewers in K-Zone 3D animations' displaying how Yankees reliever Adam Ottavino's devastating slider breaks compared with the MLB average slider at that speed.
It's one of the more complicated tasks to articulate how a pitch curves and sinks; It's not commonly measured for the fans, he says. We continue to work with the Statcast team on a process for essentially creating a standard average pitch speed and shape. We want to be able to compare that with, for example, Max Scherzer's strike-three slider and show that it broke 6 in. more than the average 85-mph slider. That's something we're working aggressively on.
Evolution of Statcast: More Alternative Viewing, Shift to GREMI
ESPN will continue to increase its use of Statcast live virtual graphics beyond the battery as well. Last year, the broadcaster extensively used defensive-positioning charts and heat charts for hitters and also began using steal probability and defensive hot/cold zones for outfielders as the year went on.
ESPN's Statcast live virtual graphics include this real-time graphic displaying steal probability
The most obvious success last year was the defensive-positioning chart and charts showing the different percentages for hitters; those were really effective, says Orlins. We also advanced into the more complicated steal predictor that measures the theoretical steal-success percentage in real time, depending on how big the runner's lead is and his speed. And then we also moved into some outfield graphics showing where outfielders are most and least effective going for balls. You're going to see a lot more of all of that this season.
ESPN2's NL Wild Card Statcast crew: (L-R) play-by-play commentator Jason Benetti; MLB.com Statcast writer Mike Petriello; ESPN MLB analyst Eduardo Perez. (Ben Cafardo/ESPN)
ESPN will also bring back the Statcast-fueled alternative-viewing experience (CLICK HERE for video) - which it produced for the NL Wild Card Game (on ESPN2 and online) and MLB Home Run Derby (on ESPNEWS and online) - for several SNB games this year.
Behind the scenes, the Statcast operator for all ESPN's MLB productions will be located at its Bristol, CT, headquarters as part of the broadcaster's continuing GREMI (graphics remoter integration) model. GREMI - which locates servers/equipment for Vizrt graphics, K-Zone 3D, three EVS replay, and Statcast on the truck with the operators in
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program
Brie Clayton July 3, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...
04/07/2026
iZotope Joins Boris FX
Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026
0 Comments
iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Death Star
Andy Marken July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate i...
03/07/2026
Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's...
03/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists awarded $2M to advance global disease surveillance Two Gates Foundation grants will expand wastewater surveillance and AI-driven dis...
03/07/2026
Joan Pulupa joins Scripps Research faculty to study the organization of DNA in brain cells and its links to neurodegeneration Using smell-sensing neurons and ad...
02/07/2026
Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD
In the live-sports...
02/07/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
02/07/2026
BLAST, a competitive entertainment company focused on esports, has announced more than $133 million in revenue for 2025, representing more than 40% year-over-ye...
02/07/2026
Riedel Communications has announced official SKAARHOJ panel support for SimplyLive production workflows, enabled through the SimplyLive 2.1 release. The integra...
02/07/2026
The Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic has deployed LiveU video-over-bond...
02/07/2026
Gravity Media USA has announced the appointment of Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development, effective July 1, 2026. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Bosto...
02/07/2026
TwelveLabs, a video intelligence company, has announced $100 million in Series B funding co-led by NEA and NAVER Ventures, with participation from Amazon, Radic...
02/07/2026
The Pro Padel League (PPL) has announced a broadcast partnership with USA Sports that will air five PPL championship matches on CNBC during the 2026 season, the...
02/07/2026
LiveLike, a digital fan engagement platform, has announced eight confirmed FIFA ...
02/07/2026
Cobalt Digital has received Future's Best of Show Award, presented by AV Technology at InfoComm 2026, for its blueCORE family of standalone signal processor...
02/07/2026
Synamedia has announced the appointment of Dr. Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transition...
02/07/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) and Sony Group Corporation have announced an expanded collaboration for the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC), taking place in Paris, Fra...
02/07/2026
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. ( Z') has announced exclusive broadcast and digital rights for the Bundesliga in India for five years, beginning with the...
02/07/2026
An effort uniting News, Sports, Local, and Telemundo, the 50+-camera live produc...
02/07/2026
Zoey Deutch, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Ben Wang appe...
02/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
02/07/2026
A new era in unmixing and spectral editing
The latest version of Steinberg's spectral audio-editing software has just arrived, building on the strength...
02/07/2026
Aims to simplify additive synthesis
Sine Machine is the debut launch from Melatonin, a Vienna-based developer who have spent the past six years creating wha...
02/07/2026
Products to remain fully active & supported
Following the news of Native Instruments joining the inMusic brand line-up, Academy and Emmy Award-winning visua...
02/07/2026
What you missed!
Last weekend, Saturday 27 June 2026, saw the debut of Sound On Sounds new GearExpo UK event, the largest dedicated pro-audio event to take ...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Following the successful launch of its inaugural APAC Mentoring Programme last month, the Rise AV APAC Regional Council will bring the conversation around mento...
02/07/2026
Blackmagic PYXIS 6K Used to Shoot Director Takahisa Zeze's Cry Out
Brie Clayton July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Highly mobile camera supports tense and de...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions acquires BFE, expanding its lead in European broadcast, medi...
02/07/2026
Berklee Alum and Faculty Perform at Boston Public Library's 250th Anniversar...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions GmbH, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, is acquiring BFE Studio und Medien...
02/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, has extended the ingest facility at leading Brazilian sports company LiveMode, work...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
MLB 2019 Preview: ESPN Continues To Up Its Virtual Game With More K-Zone 3D, Statcast Graphics The new season promises a packed start, many marquee events By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor 
