Baseball is the only major American sport that does not feature a clock in any form. Let that sink in for a bit. Baseball goes at its own pace and allows you to get into a rhythm. As I’m writing this, for instance, I’m taking turns penning sentences and watching pitches delivered to home plate.
Of course, though, there are legions of the foul-catching faithful who are more attentive than the casual fan, and new technology is helping them stay updated on America’s favorite pastime.
So sit back, grab a beer, and enjoy the crack of the bat with these top five baseball apps.
1. MLB.com’s At Bat
Verdict: 4.5/5 stars
This is the quintessential app for following baseball live.
FOR:
Live pitch-by-pitch animations of ball placement across the plate.
Super in-depth box score with up to the second live stats.
Great for pairing with a mlb.tv subscription to watch live games in 60fps video.
AGAINST:
You probably can’t follow your home team with video or audio because of black outs in your “current location.” On desktops, a lot of people use a VPN to get around this.
Free to download and use, $19.99 annual upgrade for premium and $109.99 for mlb.tv subscription.
2. MLB.com’s Ballpark
Verdict: 4/5 stars
MLB’s in-stadium experience app.
FOR:
Excellent seat view & seat map feature let you see exactly the vantage point of a specific seat in a ballpark
Seamless iBeacon check-in for rewards and Apple Passbook integration for paperless ticketing.
Food and beverage ordering at your seat.
AGAINST:
Requires a free account registration (no guest mode).
Does not cover 100% of MLB ballparks yet.
3. ESPN Radio
Verdict: 3/5 stars
ESPN covers baseball more than any other channel and so there’s naturally a lot of baseball content on ESPN radio, especially analysis.
FOR:
Contains some of the best baseball podcasts out there
AGAINST:
Somewhat neglected compared to other ESPN apps like SportsCenter or Watch ESPN.
Heavy advertisements.
4. TuneIn Radio
Verdict: 4/5 stars
Screens can be distracting for multi-tasking. As far as radio apps go, this is the best one that covers baseball.
FOR:
Use the premium version of this app for a lot more than just baseball. Six hundred commercial free independent music stations and a library of over 40,000 audiobooks.
Features live play-by-play for virtually every other major sport, including the NFL, NBA, and the English Premier League.
Simply does it all radio–wise. One stop shop for all listening needs if you don’t want a baseball specific app.
AGAINST:
Expensive monthly fee: $9.99/month.
5. SeatGeek
Verdict: 3.5/5 stars
If you can’t find your way to a game on MLB At Bat or MLB Ballpark, this is a great way to search secondary ticket markets. Also check out StubHub.
FOR:
Searches multiple markets for tickets.
Sometimes cheaper than face value for regular season games.
AGAINST:
No standardization among listed marketplaces. Can have different fees and refund policies.
Featured Image Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
