Yuba-Sutter Freebirds to Implement Full ABS

The Pioneer Baseball League and the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds announced today that the Marysville, CA club will implement fully Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) technology for all its 2026 home games at Bryant Park.  Fans attending Freebirds games will see the results of each pitch in real time on the ballpark video board. 

"This season Freebirds fans will have their experience at Bryant Field enhanced on every pitch with a live strike zone, pitch location and analytical data on the video board," said Freebirds President Harrison Shapiro.  "The integration of TrackMan's innovative technology with our new ballpark features, great food, and fun entertainment will make attending a Freebirds game one of the great joys of being part of the Yuba-Sutter community."      

Under the system, TrackMan technology determines whether a pitch passes through the rule-book strike zone and communicates the call to the home plate umpire and the fans in the ballpark in real time. ABS technology has been tested by other leagues in recent years, but the Freebirds will become the first professional club to employ the technology for a full season, representing the next phase of the Pioneer League's continued commitment to innovation and advanced baseball technology.  

"The Pioneer League has always been committed to advancing the game through innovation, and implementing full-season ABS in Yuba-Sutter is a natural next step. We're excited to partner with the Freebirds and TrackMan to bring this technology to fans at Bryant Field, enhancing the in-ballpark experience with real-time data and visualizations while continuing to improve consistency and transparency on the field," said Brian Earle, Executive Vice President of the Pioneer Baseball League. 

As part of this application of TrackMan technology, the Pioneer League also announced a three-year extension of its agreement with TrackMan, continuing the league's use of TrackMan's ball-tracking and analytics technology through the 2028 season.  

TrackMan systems are installed in all Pioneer League ballparks and provide advanced data tracking used for player development, scouting, and umpire evaluation. The technology captures pitch and batted-ball metrics used by coaches, players, and professional scouts throughout all levels of professional baseball. 

"We're proud to extend our partnership with the Pioneer League for another three years, building on a strong foundation we established in 2022. This season marks an exciting step forward with the introduction of full ABS at Yuba-Sutter Firebirds home games, while continuing the challenge system across the league following a successful rollout in 2024," said Morty Bouchard, Senior Manager Pro Baseball at TrackMan.