MLB Bans iPad Custom Tabs to Stop AI Decision Help

MLB’s New Dugout Tablet Rules

MLB ordered that the custom tabs on dugout iPads become inaccessible as of Wednesday night, when the second half of the season began. This change blocks the devices from running artificial‑intelligence programs that offered suggestions on substitutions, pitch calling, and other in‑game decisions normally left to players and coaches. Morgan Sword, MLB’s executive vice president of baseball operations, explained in a June 11 memo that the tabs had expanded the tablets’ role beyond their original purpose.

The memo, first reported by The Athletic and later secured by the Associated Press, confirmed that clubs had been compliant with earlier regulations. Sword noted that the timing of the ban gives teams that had relied on the custom tab sufficient lead time to adjust before the new rules take effect. A review by the league’s competition committee found that teams had followed the previous guidelines up to this point.

Context: A Decade of Tablet Evolution

MLB trialed restricted iPad usage late in the 2015 season as part of a pilot program. The league broadened that permission in 2016 under a partnership with Apple, introducing custom tabs that could host additional software. Video access was eliminated for the 2020 season following the Houston Astros’ sign‑stealing controversy, then reinstated for 2021.

The recent restriction reflects MLB’s ongoing effort to keep human judgment central to game strategy. By disabling the custom tabs, the league intends to keep iPads focused on video review rather than AI‑generated recommendations. This move follows the competition committee’s review, which validated that clubs had operated within the prior framework.