Mets say they are in line with MLB rules after AI claim
Interim manager Andy Green said New York is compliant after Adam Ottavino claimed the club used an expensive AI program to aid strategy.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
The New York Mets pushed back on AI scrutiny in Philadelphia, where interim manager Andy Green said the club is following Major League Baseball’s rules after former Mets reliever Adam Ottavino claimed the team had used artificial intelligence to help with in-game decisions.
Green addressed the topic before Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, according to the Associated Press. Asked about a report that pointed to the Mets’ use of AI for strategy, Green said MLB is the authority on whether teams are within bounds.
“Whatever the rules are, we remain fully compliant and Major League Baseball makes those determinations,” Green said.
The chatter started with Ottavino, who discussed the Mets on his YouTube livestream, “Baseball & Coffee.” Ottavino pitched for New York from 2022 through 2024 and now works as a broadcaster for the YES Network, which carries New York Yankees games.
On the livestream, Ottavino said the Mets had been using AI and referred to spending by owner Steve Cohen on the software. He described New York as the primary team that drew attention from the league over the issue.
Ottavino said the Mets had “an AI program” that was “very expensive apparently,” and said some coaches he knew around the league had talked about it. He said the program was helping with pitch selection and “some other stuff.”
Green did not engage with the specifics of Ottavino’s comments when asked about them. He said discussing public remarks from others would not help the Mets and repeated that the team is meeting MLB’s requirements.
“From my perspective, what I just said remains true: We remain compliant with everything MLB’s asked us to do. And we’ll continue to do that,” Green said.
MLB tightens tablet access
The issue comes as MLB is limiting how teams can use iPads in dugouts, according to the Associated Press. The tablets give clubs access to video and league-provided data, and they also had a custom tab that allowed teams to use additional programs.
MLB made those custom tabs unavailable to clubs starting Wednesday night, when the second half of the season began, the AP reported.
Green said he would defer to the league on the matter and added that he did not have a strong opinion about the restrictions.
The Mets’ position, as stated by Green, is that they are operating inside the rules as MLB defines them. Ottavino’s comments remain his account of what he says was happening around the club and how people in the sport discussed it.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.