Bundy gives his early approval to new techniques

SARASOTA, Fla. - Among the early observations from Orioles spring training are how the workouts are packed with activity but also moving at a brisk pace, not a single minute wasted, and laptop screens are hard to see in bright sunlight.

On the latter subject, the increase in technology and data collection is playing out before our eyes while pitchers complete their bullpen sessions on the row of mounds on a back field. High-speed video cameras capture slow-motion images while various team employees sit at a table with laptops placed in front of them. Rain complicated the process earlier this week and the sun presented a new set of challenges yesterday.

The pitchers seem in favor of the use of Edgertronic cameras. Anything to increase their chances of success.

"We're going through our individual meetings right now," said manager Brandon Hyde. "We've gotten the majority of the pitchers and they're all really interested in what their readers are and some presentations that we have for them. They're ready to dive into it and we've had a great response from the interest level from them.

"The new analytics stuff the guys from Houston have brought here, we've gotten a great response from it."

Dylan Bundy has been curious about the information available to him, but it isn't an immediate reading. This isn't the same as checking the numbers on a radar gun.

"I don't know if those show numbers or not," he said. "Those show how the ball is coming out of your hand. I just saw a couple pitches. We'll get into that a little later in the spring when things kind of calm down a little bit and all the excitement wears down, I guess. But I did see a few pitches, and that's some pretty cool technology.

"I couldn't believe how slow the camera speed was, how it slows everything down where you can see basically frame by frame. It's pretty neat."

The things that Bundy intended to work on in camp mesh well with the new technology.

"Yeah, absolutely. That's the whole goal," he said.

"Everybody wants everybody here to get better. Everybody's working on something else and all the technology and the numbers and horizontal movement, vertical movement, all that stuff can help you if you let it. Just got to take in the information and try to apply it to your craft.

"You can only work on so many things at once. You can't try to work on 25 things in one session. You've got to try to pick a few things that you think will make you a better pitcher in the big leagues. Work on your strengths, and also you've got to work on your weaknesses as well. But I focus more on the weapons that you have now and try to make those even better."

Would there have been more resistance to this data and the attempts to implement it back when Bundy came up in 2012?

"It's hard to say," he replied. "There were some technologies back then that people didn't take too well, but you can see the success all around the game with it, so I think that's why everybody's changed their mind and are really trying to open up to all that info."

Bundy has thrown twice in the bullpen since pitchers and catchers reported. No complaints so far.

The ball is coming out of his hand just the way he wants it, a popular spring training comment that rivals "best shape of my life."

"I'm on a mound, so yeah, I'm happy," he said. "We're a long way away from being where we need to be, but some of the things I was trying to work on this offseason, we're still feeling pretty good on the bullpen mound. I'm looking forward to it."

Position players who reported early took batting practice again yesterday on the stadium field, a group that included Mark Trumbo, Trey Mancini, Joey Rickard, Mike Yastrzemski, Jace Peterson and Cedric Mullins.

"I was excited to hear about a few more guys showing up today," Hyde said. "Walk into the stadium and there's three groups of BP going. That just shows you that guys are excited, ready to go, ready to put their work in and be ready for the 18th."