Twenty pitchers are expected to begin testing newly designed protective headgear during Spring Training next month.
The cap, as shown by ESPN’s Outside The Lines, looks like a traditional hat or batting helmet, just without a complete cap. It includes a visor and an ear flap.
According to Outside the Lines, the caps were designed by Boombang, which says that they have an average thickness of 0.7 inches. They weigh 10-12 ounces and will be customizable. They are made specifically for right- or -left-handed pitchers, like batting helmets. Players will also be able to wear them over their traditional baseball hats.
MLB and the MLB Players Association approved plans for a protective cap for pitchers before the 2014 season in response to injuries suffered by several pitchers who were hit in the head. Tampa Bay Rays starter Alex cobb was hit in the head in 2013 and suffered a mild concussion and vertigo. He told OTL that he liked the feel of the new helmets.
“It felt great and looks good, similar to a helmet with the top cut off,” Cobb said. If he was wearing these helmets when he was struck, it would have hit the ear flap.
Previously, the only protective cap approved by the MLB and MLBPA for pitchers was the isoBLOX, which is used in youth leagues. However, the cap’s bulky design make it tough for many to want to wear it and only one picture - Alex Torres - wore it last year.