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The Dodgers are experimenting with having coaches call pitches directly from the dugout for their Single-A affiliates, per Dodger Blue staff. The move follows the Miami Marlins generating buzz earlier this year by allowing coaches to relay pitch selections rather than leaving the task solely to the battery. Since MLB approved the PitchCom device for regular use in 2022, virtually every team has relied on it as the primary method of communication between pitcher and catcher — but this dugout-calling approach represents a potential next step in how organizations control game strategy from the ground up.

This is an organizational philosophy decision more than a player-specific one, and I find it genuinely interesting. The logic is straightforward: if your front office and coaching staff have already built sophisticated scouting reports and pitch-sequencing models, why not push that information directly into the game in real time rather than filtering it through a young catcher who’s still learning the craft? At the Single-A level, you’re talking about catchers who are often 20 or 21 years old, still developing their ability to read swings, manage counts, and navigate a lineup for the second and third time through. Removing some of that cognitive load could, in theory, let those catchers focus more on receiving, framing, and blocking — the physical skills that take thousands of reps to refine.

The Marlins were the first team to draw real attention to this concept, and it makes sense that the Dodgers would be among the early adopters. This is an organization that has consistently been at the forefront of integrating analytics and technology into player development. From their use of biomechanics labs to their data-driven pitching development pipeline, the Dodgers have never been shy about pushing boundaries. Andrew Friedman’s front office has built a culture where experimentation at the lower levels is encouraged — the minor leagues are the laboratory, and the big league club reaps the benefits.

There are fair questions about what this means for catcher development long-term. Calling a game is a skill, and if you strip that responsibility away at the lower levels, are you stunting growth at a position where baseball IQ is paramount? Or are you simply acknowledging that modern pitching strategy has become too complex and data-driven for any individual — catcher or otherwise — to manage optimally in real time without technological assistance? I lean toward the latter. The game has moved in this direction for years now, and resisting it for tradition’s sake doesn’t make much sense.

For the Dodgers specifically, this is worth watching because of how deep their pitching pipeline runs. Developing arms like Landon Knack and others who have come through the system in recent years depends partly on how well those pitchers are guided through game situations in the minors. If dugout pitch-calling helps young starters execute their arsenals more effectively — and the data supports it — expect this to expand beyond Single-A sooner rather than later. The Dodgers aren’t doing this on a whim. They’re testing it because they believe it could give them an edge, and that’s how this organization operates.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: June 15, 2026 1:04 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers