Report: MLB approves wearable tech to measure stress, heart rate

The big data explosion has taken baseball by storm over the past few seasons. PITCH f/x has changed the way we view pitchers, defensive shifts have altered how players approach at-bats and exit velocity has turned into one of the most cited stats.

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All of those figures focus on what a player can do, and not how doing those things impact each player. How much stress is put on an elbow when a pitcher throws a slider with the bases loaded? Do players get nervous when they have to play out of position? Does a calmer heart rate lead to better contact?

Major League Baseball might have the answers to those questions soon. The league has reportedly approved wearable technology this season, according to the Associated Press. Two devices, the Motus Baseball Sleeve and the Zephyr Bioharness have been approved for games this season.

The Motus Baseball Sleeve measures stress placed on elbows while pitching. The Zephyr Bioharness would be used to measure breathing rates and heart rates of players on the field.

The data, however, would not be immediately available to coaches during games. Instead, the data would be downloaded after each contest. So, you're probably not going to see managers suddenly put a pitcher as a preventative measure because a device measured heightened stress on a particular pitch any time soon.

There's also a question of how the data will be used. The Players Association are fearful of players' privacy being violated by the devices. There's like also a concern that some of the data findings could be used against players when it comes time to discuss contract extensions.

For now, though, only teams and players will have access to that data. It can only be used for internal purposes, and cannot be shared with broadcasters or the media.

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While it still seems like there are some significant roadblocks to overcome, the end result could be a big positive. As long as the data is used responsibly, the figures gathered could be used to make important breakthroughs within the game.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik