(AUDACY) The first time I play a virtual reality MLB game — and have Aroldis Chapman throw a heater anywhere in my general direction — will probably be the last time that I play a virtual reality MLB game. If I couldn't deal with inside fastballs growing up and I couldn't sit through some of those VR horror games throughout my college days, a combination of the two probably wouldn't make for my favorite activity in the world.
But for MLB players who have spent and continue to spend more time than ever at home, virtual reality seems like it would be quite the handy tool to stay sharp. Just ask Nationals outfielder Kyle Schwarber, who has yet to make an appearance in Washington due to a coronavirus outbreak within the organization. He, Josh Bell and Josh Harrison were reinstated from the injured list Monday in what will be the long-awaited debuts for the power-hitting duo of Schwarber and Bell. Luckily for the Nationals, Schwarber seems to be fresh and ready to go, thanks in part to virtual reality.
Schwarber isn't doing something completely new, at least not relative to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul Goldschmidt, Aaron Judge and Mike Yastrzemski were among those who used VR to keep them sharp and aid in their training due to the cancellation of normal practices and regular schedules (via Lisa Rabasca Roepe of Dell). One of the benefits? You can keep going as long as you please.
"Every player likes to face some type of actual pitcher, seeing the ball come out of a hand," said Chris O'Dowd, the CEO of WIN Reality. "Pitching machines can't provide that type of experience and a coach can't throw all day."
The Nationals are hoping that Schwarber's practice paid off and he can help to boost an offense that has produced a league-low 2.83 runs per game in the early going of the 2021 MLB season.
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