{"slug": "mets-among-teams-who-used-ai-loophole-with-dugout-ipads-before-mlb-crackdown", "title": "Mets among teams who used AI loophole with dugout iPads before MLB crackdown", "summary": "The New York Mets were among several MLB teams that exploited an artificial intelligence loophole using dugout iPads to make in-game decisions, including substitutions and pitch calling, before Major League Baseball banned the practice effective Wednesday. The crackdown, announced in a June 11 memo, follows league concerns that teams were using the devices beyond their intended purpose, threatening the traditional role of players and coaches in game management.", "body_md": "# Mets among teams who used AI loophole with dugout iPads before MLB crackdown\n\nSee more of our coverage in your search results.\n\n[Add The New York Post on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=nypost.com)\n\nThe Mets were among the teams found to have [exploited a loophole regarding the use of artificial intelligence](https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/sports/mlb-cracks-down-on-dugout-ipads-with-artificial-intelligence-fears-growing/) for in-game decisions during the first half of the season, sources told The Post.\n\n##\nAccess the Mets beat like never before\n\n*Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.*\n\n[Try it free](http://nypost.com/account/subscribe/)\n\nMajor League Baseball banned the practice beginning Wednesday.\n\nThe crackdown was issued in a June 11 memo to teams but wasn’t put in place until the day before the second half of the season began following the All-Star break.\n\nAs first [reported by The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7448900/2026/07/16/mlb-bans-ai-dugout-ipads/?smid=url-share-ta&source=athletic_user_shared_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta), MLB found that some teams were using league-issued iPads in the dugout “beyond their originally intended purpose to include recommendations regarding substitutions, pitch calling, and other in-game decisions traditionally made by players and coaches.”\n\nThe memo, from MLB executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword and obtained by The Post, was sent to general managers, assistant GMs and video coordinators.\n\nThe tablets, which still will be permitted in dugouts, give teams access to league-provided Statcast information, as well as multiple video angles and data related to the automated ball-strike system.\n\nVideo accessed during the game in the dugout is only available on delay.\n\nThe custom tab allowed teams to access other programs and will no longer be accessible.\n\nThe move could impact teams that began calling pitches from the dugout, a trend that has become more widespread this season.\n\nIt will no doubt have other impacts as teams throughout the league have relied more heavily on analytics in all aspects of the game.\n\nMLB has permitted the use of iPads in dugouts for over a decade and noted in the memo that a review earlier this year showed that teams were “compliant” with rules regarding sign stealing and electronic device usage, so no penalties were handed out.\n\nTeams were essentially given a month to stop using AI for in-game decision-making purposes “to make any necessary adjustments.”\n\n*— Additional reporting **by Joel Sherman*", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/mets-among-teams-who-used-ai-loophole-with-dugout-ipads-before-mlb-crackdown", "canonical_source": "https://nypost.com/2026/07/17/sports/mets-among-teams-who-used-ai-loophole-with-dugout-ipads/", "published_at": "2026-07-18 00:13:39+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-18 00:24:44.057982+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-policy"], "entities": ["New York Mets", "Major League Baseball", "Morgan Sword", "The Athletic", "The New York Post"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/mets-among-teams-who-used-ai-loophole-with-dugout-ipads-before-mlb-crackdown", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/mets-among-teams-who-used-ai-loophole-with-dugout-ipads-before-mlb-crackdown.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/mets-among-teams-who-used-ai-loophole-with-dugout-ipads-before-mlb-crackdown.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/mets-among-teams-who-used-ai-loophole-with-dugout-ipads-before-mlb-crackdown.jsonld"}}