Top 5 Baseball Apps
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