Engineering the Ballpark

Baseball has come a long way from the days of packed grandstands and hand-stitched uniforms. Fans are now surrounded by the loudness and vibrance of 21st century technology. Engineering feats show up in the massive screens looming over the stands, drones capturing images over the field, and—in seven major league parks—retractable roofs shutting out extreme weather and climates. The sport has evolved in more subtle ways, too. Updates to equipment can be seen in the newly designed barrels of the torpedo bats that shook up the 2025 season, and details as small as sliding mitts tucked into players’ back pockets are jarring to older fans of the game. The 21st century ballpark is now a highly engineered environment, thanks to the pioneers who dared to try new things, the fed-up players looking for answers, and the engineers bringing the solutions to life.