Business

MLB Now Effectively Bans Teams From Using Generative AI on Dugout iPads to Shape In-Game Strategy Calls

Published

3 hours ago

18 July 2026

Major League Baseball has effectively outlawed the use of generative artificial intelligence on the league-issued iPads teams keep in their dugouts during games, cracking down on a practice that had increasingly crept into how some clubs made real-time decisions on the field.

The league notified all 30 teams of the new restriction in a memo from the commissioner’s office dated June 11, according to reporting from Eno Sarris of The Athletic, which first broke the news of the policy change. The ban officially took full effect on Wednesday, timed to coincide with the resumption of play following this year’s All-Star break, giving teams roughly a month to adjust before the restriction was fully enforced.

According to the commissioner’s office memo, teams had been installing custom applications on the dugout iPads that pushed the devices well beyond their originally intended purpose. Rather than simply serving as tools for reviewing performance data and video, the memo said, the iPads in many cases had been repurposed to generate live recommendations on substitutions, pitch calling and other in-game decisions that have traditionally been made directly by players and coaches rather than software.

Sources with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic that as many as one-third of MLB’s 30 teams had been using the dugout tablets for at least one of these unintended purposes before the league intervened. NBC Sports, citing The Athletic’s reporting, indicated that pitch-calling assistance may have been central to the league’s concerns, noting that the Miami Marlins were believed to have pioneered the practice this season before it spread to as many as six additional teams around the league.

Despite the scope of the practice, MLB’s internal review determined that no teams had actually violated the league’s existing rules governing sign stealing or general electronic-device usage during games, meaning none of the clubs involved are expected to face disciplinary action or punishment as a result of the crackdown. The league’s response instead focused on tightening the technology guidelines going forward rather than penalizing teams for how they had used the tools up to this point.

The dugout iPads at the center of the controversy are structured around three distinct tabs, each serving a different function. The first tab provides MLB-supplied Statcast data along with multiple video angles for reviewing plays. The second tab contains information related to the league’s automated ball-strike challenge system. The third tab, however, had become a space where individual teams were free to install their own custom-built applications, and it is that third tab specifically that the league has now closed off under the new restrictions.

MLB has also layered additional safeguards on top of the new AI restriction in an effort to limit the flow of live information into the dugout more broadly. In-game video available through the tablets remains accessible only on a delayed basis rather than in real time, and clubhouse rules already in place bar non-playing personnel from entering the dugout during games, further limiting who can interact with the devices and any external information they might otherwise provide.

Reaction to the policy shift within front offices has been mixed. One front-office executive, granted anonymity by The Athletic to discuss the sensitive matter, offered a blunt assessment of the league’s motivation, saying the crackdown was aimed at stopping any advantage before it could fully take hold. Sarris reported separately that the decision drew frustration from some front-office members who had come to view the AI-assisted tools as a legitimate strategic advantage worth preserving, even as others in the league welcomed the move as a way to keep the game’s decision-making in human hands.

The dugout iPads that made this controversy possible trace back roughly a decade to MLB’s original technology partnership with Apple. The two companies first introduced iPad Pro devices into all 30 major league dugouts and bullpens in 2016, pairing the hardware with a custom-built application called MLB Dugout that gave managers, coaches and players direct access to advance scouting reports, analytics and video during games. That original rollout was framed at the time as a major step forward in bringing consumer technology directly onto the field of play, expanding on comments Apple co-founder Steve Jobs made when he first introduced the iPad in 2010 and cited Major League Baseball as an example of the device’s practical potential.

A decade later, that same hardware infrastructure has become the flashpoint for one of the more significant technology disputes MLB has confronted this season, as the rapid advancement of generative AI tools created new possibilities for teams looking to gain even a marginal edge in real-time decision-making. The league’s decision to intervene mid-season, rather than waiting for the offseason to implement new technology guidelines, underscores how quickly some teams had moved to adopt the tools once they became available.

Public reaction to the ban has been mixed as well, with some fans and observers questioning whether restricting AI actually preserves competitive fairness or simply removes a tool that, if made equally available to every team, might not have provided any club with a meaningful advantage in the first place. Others have argued that removing software-driven recommendations from real-time, in-game decisions like substitutions and pitch selection helps preserve the traditional role of managers, coaches and players in shaping the outcome of games, rather than ceding those choices to algorithmic suggestions.

For now, the league’s position is clear: with the third tab on team-issued iPads now off-limits for custom applications, any generative AI recommendations that had been quietly influencing bullpen decisions, defensive shifts or pitch sequencing from the dugout are no longer permitted under the league’s technology guidelines. Whether teams find new workarounds, or simply return to relying on the judgment of their coaching staffs as they did before AI tools became available, is likely to become clearer as the second half of the 2026 season unfolds under baseball’s newly tightened rules.

Business

This Week’s Market Wrap: AI Shakeup, Earnings, And Renewed Oil Shock

Published

2 minutes ago

18 July 2026

NewsAdmin

This Week's Market Wrap: AI Shakeup, Earnings, And Renewed Oil Shock

Cited by Barron’s as one of the top financial websites to visit on the weekend, Financial Sense (www.financialsense.com) provides educational resources to the broad public audience through a daily podcast, editorials, current news and resource links on salient financial market issues. Begun in 1985 as a local talk radio program, Financial Sense Newshour (www.financialsense.com/financial-sense-newshour) is a weekly webcast with host Jim Puplava and top financial thinkers. Writing staff of Financial Sense includes: Jim Puplava, Chris Puplava, Ryan Puplava, and Cris Sheridan.

Business

JSW Steel’s Q1 profit soars 2x YoY on robust topline growth

Published

8 minutes ago

18 July 2026

NewsAdmin

JSW Steel’s Q1 profit soars 2x YoY on robust topline growth

JSW Steel’s consolidated profit for the June quarter more than doubled year-on-year to 4,696 crore, aided by robust revenue growth, higher volumes, and lower finance costs. The bottomline was higher than Street expectations.

The country’s largest producer of steel reported its earnings during market hours on Friday, and its shares climbed 1.4% on the BSE at 1,238.35. While higher compared to the previous year, the bottomline was 75% lower sequentially as the March quarter benefited from one-time gains of 17,888 crore.

Consolidated revenue from operations for the June quarter rose around 10% on year to 47,364 crore; the year-on-year revenue growth stood at 19% on a proforma basis after adjusting the sales of Bhushan Power in the comparable quarter. The entity was de-consolidated from JSW Steel from March earlier this year.

Revenue growth for the steelmaker was boosted by a combination of higher steel prices and a 4% growth in consolidated sales volumes to 6.25 million tonne for the quarter.

Total expenses for the quarter rose less than 4% on year to 41,830 crore—relatively lower than the revenue growth for the period—helped by a near 23% drop in finance costs to 1,712 crore. JSW Steel’s consolidated net debt is down to 46,157 crore at the end of June from 53,870 crore a quarter ago.

Net debt to equity ratio at the end of the quarter stood at 0.42 times, down from 0.51 times at the end of the March quarter, while the net debt to Ebitda ratio stood at 1.46 times, down from 1.81 times.
The revenue growth and relatively lower growth in expenses boosted the consolidated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation for the company, which rose 38% on year to 9,383 crore. The Ebitda made on each tonne of steel rose 23% on year to 14,990 during the quarter.

Business

Soccer-Trump back in World Cup spotlight after starring role in tournament’s controversies

Published

15 minutes ago

18 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Soccer-Trump back in World Cup spotlight after starring role in tournament’s controversies

Business

IPO calendar: 5 IPOs opening for subscription to keep investors busy; SBI Funds among 4 listings scheduled

Published

20 minutes ago

18 July 2026

NewsAdmin

IPO calendar: 5 IPOs opening for subscription to keep investors busy; SBI Funds among 4 listings scheduled

The primary market will stay active next week, with five IPOs opening for subscription and four IPOs set to list on the exchanges. The focus will be on Xtranet Technologies and Cube Highways Trust InvIT, which are the mainboard offerings scheduled to open next week. Alongside them, a few SME issues will also hit the market. Investors will also track the listing of SBI Funds Management, Millworks Technologies and Alpine Texworld after their IPOs close this week.

The week comes after strong demand in the IPO market in the week gone by, led by SBI Funds Management. The Rs 9,813 crore IPO of India’s largest mutual fund house was subscribed over 40 times and drew demand of nearly Rs 2.98 lakh crore. Its grey market premium hovered around 16%, suggesting a positive listing expectation.

Xtranet Technologies IPO

Xtranet Technologies will open its Rs 166.8 crore mainboard IPO for subscription on July 23. The issue will close on July 27. The company has fixed a price band of Rs 120-127 per share. The IPO is entirely a fresh issue of 1.31 crore shares. There is no offer for sale. The shares are proposed to be listed on BSE and NSE, with a tentative listing date of July 30.

The lot size is 110 shares. At the upper price band, retail investors will need to invest Rs 13,970 for one lot.

Share India Capital Services is the book-running lead manager, while KFin Technologies is the registrar.

Incorporated in 2002, Xtranet Technologies is an integrated IT solutions provider. The company offers enterprise applications, digital transformation, managed services, proprietary platforms and strategic technology partnerships.
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The company plans to use IPO proceeds for debt repayment, purchase and installation of systems and hardware, working capital requirements and general corporate purposes. It has earmarked Rs 21.99 crore for repayment or prepayment of borrowings, Rs 7.30 crore for capital expenditure and Rs 102 crore for working capital.

Cube Highways Trust InvIT IPO

Cube Highways Trust InvIT will also open next week. The mainboard issue will open on July 22 and close on July 24. The IPO size is Rs 5,000 crore. The issue is a book-building offer and will list on BSE and NSE. Kotak Mahindra Capital is the lead manager to the issue.
The Cube Highways Trust InvIT issue will be watched closely because infrastructure investment trusts give investors exposure to operating infrastructure assets. InvITs are generally tracked by long-term investors looking for cash-flow visibility, yield and exposure to roads and infrastructure.

SME IPOs next week

Apart from the two mainboard issues, the SME market will also see activity. Shree Balaji Mala Textiles will open its BSE SME IPO on July 22 and close on July 24. The price band is Rs 66-70 per share and the issue size is Rs 18.90 crore.

Metalic Technoforge will open its NSE SME issue on July 21 and close on July 23. The price band is Rs 72-77 and the issue size is Rs 49.96 crore.

Gulf Lloyds India will open its BSE SME fixed-price issue on July 20 and close on July 22. The issue price is Rs 100 per share and the issue size is Rs 18.19 crore.

Four listings to watch

The listing calendar will also be busy next week. SBI Funds Management will be the biggest listing to track after its public issue saw strong institutional and retail demand. The IPO was subscribed over 40 times, with QIB demand crossing 140 times. Its GMP is around 16%.

Millworks Technologies will also be watched closely because of its grey market premium of more than 100%, which signals strong listing expectations. However, grey market trends are unofficial and can change before listing.

Alpine Texworld is another scheduled listing, but its GMP is at 0%, suggesting muted listing expectations for now. The fourth listing of Sotefin Bharat will also be tracked by investors as the market tests appetite across mainboard and SME names after a strong run in recent offerings.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)