The Cleveland Indians’ Opening Day starter became the first MLB pitcher to wear a pair of cleats with a plate inside that was custom-generated using 3D printing on Monday.
Most fans watching Corey Kluber open the 2017 regular season on the mound probably didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary about the cleats which the Cleveland Indians starting pitcher donned. For Kluber, however, the difference due to his 3D printed plates was probably something he could feel.
New Balance, the manufacturer of the cleats, installed the plate into the cleats after collecting data about the areas of the foot that Kluber puts the most stress on while pitching. In an interview with Mark J. Burns of SportTechie, New Balance’s Brian Gothie explained that the emphasis for Kluber was to keep his front foot from moving when it lands. The idea is to allow Kluber a better opportunity to replicate his delivery as much as possible on every pitch.
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While the results of Kluber’s first outing of the season (five earned runs on six hits and three walks with three home runs allowed in six innings of work) probably weren’t what he was looking for, one start that is inferior when compared with Kluber’s normal performances isn’t sufficient evidence to condemn the plate’s use. It will take many more outings to truly evaluate the effect that the plates have on Kluber’s performance.
If Kluber sees improved mechanics that lead to improved performance, it’s likely that New Balance has something here. Professional athletes are always on the hunt for any and every thing they can use to gain some advantage over their competition. A custom-designed plate in their cleats is something that they, if not their teams, would likely pay for given enough data to show its utility.
In a few years, MLB players not wearing plates with 3D printed plates inside of them may be seen as behind the times.
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