How two Orioles' minor league coaches balance their biomechanics backgrounds with the daily grind of games
At Aberdeen, pitching coach Forrest Hermann and hitting coach Zach Cole have unique background in a "lab" they have to balance with being coaches in pro ball's unrelenting schedule.
When the new Orioles front office under Mike Elias began making its mark ahead of the 2019 season, technology was an area that was quick to see updates, particularly within player development.
The sport at the time was in the midst of a data-driven revolution when it came to pitching development, and the same type of ascent was beginning to take hold on the hitting side. With growing uses for motion-capture technology, virtual reality, and movement training, it seemed plausible that in a few years time the line between a lab setting and the minor league ballpark would be totally blurred.
Nearly four years on, the results are something a little more familiar at the surface level – and a pair of coaches at High-A Aberdeen are uniquely placed to tell the balance being struck at the Orioles’ affiliates every day.
Pitching coach Forrest Hermann and hitting coach Zach Cole each got their start at facilities learning the biometric side of their craft and meld that into their instruction for the Ironbirds every day without actually turning their respective bullpen or batting cage into a lab.