Ryan Gunther
@ryangunther1.bsky.social
- Writing a master's in statistics thesis that uses machine learning on baseball biomechanical data
- Occasional posts about progress on computer vision at the indy ball level
- Brock University MSc 2025
Github here: https://github.com/RyanGunther
- Occasional posts about progress on computer vision at the indy ball level
- Brock University MSc 2025
Github here: https://github.com/RyanGunther
Pinned
Exciting new updates in baseball computer vision - I generated this (and many other clips like it) completely automatically through a pipeline I've built
Here's Adrian Del Castillo turning 96 above the zone into a gap double. Auto color-coded too, so the denser centers hold more weight in my model
Here's Adrian Del Castillo turning 96 above the zone into a gap double. Auto color-coded too, so the denser centers hold more weight in my model
Here are two swings, same hitter, overlaid on each other, one makes contact with a ball in Zone 10, the other, Zone 11 (up+out vs up+in)
Barrels (red/purple) tunnel each other like 2 pitches tunnelling each other. But from overhead view you can see that they break off pretty early in the motion
Barrels (red/purple) tunnel each other like 2 pitches tunnelling each other. But from overhead view you can see that they break off pretty early in the motion
November 15, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Here are two swings, same hitter, overlaid on each other, one makes contact with a ball in Zone 10, the other, Zone 11 (up+out vs up+in)
Barrels (red/purple) tunnel each other like 2 pitches tunnelling each other. But from overhead view you can see that they break off pretty early in the motion
Barrels (red/purple) tunnel each other like 2 pitches tunnelling each other. But from overhead view you can see that they break off pretty early in the motion
Exciting new updates in baseball computer vision - I generated this (and many other clips like it) completely automatically through a pipeline I've built
Here's Adrian Del Castillo turning 96 above the zone into a gap double. Auto color-coded too, so the denser centers hold more weight in my model
Here's Adrian Del Castillo turning 96 above the zone into a gap double. Auto color-coded too, so the denser centers hold more weight in my model
November 14, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Exciting new updates in baseball computer vision - I generated this (and many other clips like it) completely automatically through a pipeline I've built
Here's Adrian Del Castillo turning 96 above the zone into a gap double. Auto color-coded too, so the denser centers hold more weight in my model
Here's Adrian Del Castillo turning 96 above the zone into a gap double. Auto color-coded too, so the denser centers hold more weight in my model
single game WAR is not a thing. Nonetheless, I'd have to imagine 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 5 walks in 9 PA, even with a CS and the DH penalty, would be >1 WAR in a single game
goodnight. no need to watch game 4 tomorrow, it already happened in the second half of game 3
goodnight. no need to watch game 4 tomorrow, it already happened in the second half of game 3
October 28, 2025 at 7:05 AM
single game WAR is not a thing. Nonetheless, I'd have to imagine 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 5 walks in 9 PA, even with a CS and the DH penalty, would be >1 WAR in a single game
goodnight. no need to watch game 4 tomorrow, it already happened in the second half of game 3
goodnight. no need to watch game 4 tomorrow, it already happened in the second half of game 3
Biebs getting warm makes me think Springer could be hurt bad enough that Toronto knows they’ll have to take him off their roster. Yariel or Berrios (is he healthy?) could start game 4 if Bieber comes in tonight?
October 28, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Biebs getting warm makes me think Springer could be hurt bad enough that Toronto knows they’ll have to take him off their roster. Yariel or Berrios (is he healthy?) could start game 4 if Bieber comes in tonight?
My blood has NEVER boiled as much as watching Tyler Heineman NOT take off on the pitch in a 3-2, 2 out, force play situation and then get called out on a bang-bang play
Would have been an all time mental mistake if that didn’t get overturned
Would have been an all time mental mistake if that didn’t get overturned
October 28, 2025 at 4:45 AM
My blood has NEVER boiled as much as watching Tyler Heineman NOT take off on the pitch in a 3-2, 2 out, force play situation and then get called out on a bang-bang play
Would have been an all time mental mistake if that didn’t get overturned
Would have been an all time mental mistake if that didn’t get overturned
Putting the pieces together in my computer vision project - I've now taken Bogaerts swing footage, programmed the ability to automatically drill out "donut holes" i.e. the section between XB's arms at contact, then colour code so the centers of the data hold more weight
October 27, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Putting the pieces together in my computer vision project - I've now taken Bogaerts swing footage, programmed the ability to automatically drill out "donut holes" i.e. the section between XB's arms at contact, then colour code so the centers of the data hold more weight
No matter how I tune this, tree-based models only care to split for runners advancing from 2B on possible sac flies. From 3B it's pretty simple
Hangtime doesn't matter. Neither does OF initial positioning, launch angle, OF arms, runner speed, or where the ball's hit. If it's >260ft, you're scoring
Hangtime doesn't matter. Neither does OF initial positioning, launch angle, OF arms, runner speed, or where the ball's hit. If it's >260ft, you're scoring
October 24, 2025 at 3:57 AM
No matter how I tune this, tree-based models only care to split for runners advancing from 2B on possible sac flies. From 3B it's pretty simple
Hangtime doesn't matter. Neither does OF initial positioning, launch angle, OF arms, runner speed, or where the ball's hit. If it's >260ft, you're scoring
Hangtime doesn't matter. Neither does OF initial positioning, launch angle, OF arms, runner speed, or where the ball's hit. If it's >260ft, you're scoring
Finally figured this out on Monday. The below video isn’t perfect (helmet..?), but as long as it works conceptually, I can add more training data + annotations and build it into a smooth pipeline within a week or two
October 22, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Finally figured this out on Monday. The below video isn’t perfect (helmet..?), but as long as it works conceptually, I can add more training data + annotations and build it into a smooth pipeline within a week or two
I’ve struggled recently with trying to get my computer vision biomechanics model to properly segment the entire hitter’s body, but NOT the “donut holes” i.e. background that lands between the arms and bat, circled below
October 22, 2025 at 5:30 PM
I’ve struggled recently with trying to get my computer vision biomechanics model to properly segment the entire hitter’s body, but NOT the “donut holes” i.e. background that lands between the arms and bat, circled below
Insane that the Ms didn’t have Munoz ready in that spot
Couldn’t possibly have been higher leverage
Couldn’t possibly have been higher leverage
October 21, 2025 at 4:43 AM
Insane that the Ms didn’t have Munoz ready in that spot
Couldn’t possibly have been higher leverage
Couldn’t possibly have been higher leverage
By cWPA, the Springer home run is the 68th most important play in MLB history, and 3rd highest outside the World Series.
Never wake me up from this dream
Never wake me up from this dream
October 21, 2025 at 4:41 AM
By cWPA, the Springer home run is the 68th most important play in MLB history, and 3rd highest outside the World Series.
Never wake me up from this dream
Never wake me up from this dream
Around age 13, I tagged up and scored on a ball juggled in left field. I started running when the LF first touched it. The ump (age 15ish) incorrectly called me out on appeal for leaving before the catch was secured
My blood still boils from that when people (Teoscar) don't know the tag up rules
My blood still boils from that when people (Teoscar) don't know the tag up rules
October 14, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Around age 13, I tagged up and scored on a ball juggled in left field. I started running when the LF first touched it. The ump (age 15ish) incorrectly called me out on appeal for leaving before the catch was secured
My blood still boils from that when people (Teoscar) don't know the tag up rules
My blood still boils from that when people (Teoscar) don't know the tag up rules
Reposted by Ryan Gunther
The average pitch the Cubs batters have seen this postseason is 92.7 MPH.
Not the average "fastball." The average PITCH. All of them.
That's faster than the average -fastball- the 2008 Cubs saw in the playoffs: 92.4.
Not the average "fastball." The average PITCH. All of them.
That's faster than the average -fastball- the 2008 Cubs saw in the playoffs: 92.4.
October 8, 2025 at 6:32 PM
The average pitch the Cubs batters have seen this postseason is 92.7 MPH.
Not the average "fastball." The average PITCH. All of them.
That's faster than the average -fastball- the 2008 Cubs saw in the playoffs: 92.4.
Not the average "fastball." The average PITCH. All of them.
That's faster than the average -fastball- the 2008 Cubs saw in the playoffs: 92.4.
I’ve also never seen a baserunner headfirst slide back to a base that isn’t being thrown to. Watch top left of the screen 🤣
October 5, 2025 at 9:24 PM
I’ve also never seen a baserunner headfirst slide back to a base that isn’t being thrown to. Watch top left of the screen 🤣
Not sure I’ve ever seen a pitcher shake his head as he comes set. Either you shake off a pitch or you’re pissed about a bad call. But a borderline call went his way the pitch before this
Last pitch he threw today
Is this a “I hate the pitch call but I’ll go along with it anyway?”
Last pitch he threw today
Is this a “I hate the pitch call but I’ll go along with it anyway?”
October 5, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Not sure I’ve ever seen a pitcher shake his head as he comes set. Either you shake off a pitch or you’re pissed about a bad call. But a borderline call went his way the pitch before this
Last pitch he threw today
Is this a “I hate the pitch call but I’ll go along with it anyway?”
Last pitch he threw today
Is this a “I hate the pitch call but I’ll go along with it anyway?”
made some 3d visualizations of a motion capture session. batter approaching, making, and then following through his contact point
September 29, 2025 at 4:24 AM
made some 3d visualizations of a motion capture session. batter approaching, making, and then following through his contact point
ALEJANDRO KIRK MY GLORIOUS KING!!!!!!
ALEJANDRO KIRK MY GLORIOUS KING!!!!!!
September 28, 2025 at 8:58 PM
ALEJANDRO KIRK MY GLORIOUS KING!!!!!!
ALEJANDRO KIRK MY GLORIOUS KING!!!!!!
September 28, 2025 at 7:33 PM
ALEJANDRO KIRK MY GLORIOUS KING!!!!!!
A common issue with using computer vision for biomechanics is that baggy jerseys/pants, shin/elbow guards and long hair become part of the data. To combat this, I've used color gradients on my data - the edges now hold less importance than the denser centers
September 26, 2025 at 5:07 AM
A common issue with using computer vision for biomechanics is that baggy jerseys/pants, shin/elbow guards and long hair become part of the data. To combat this, I've used color gradients on my data - the edges now hold less importance than the denser centers
I also got in touch with BaseballCV (open source baseball computer vision project) since they don't currently have a segmentation model in their pipeline. Ideally I'd donate my datasets and model weights there once I've finished this stage of my research
September 12, 2025 at 4:48 AM
I also got in touch with BaseballCV (open source baseball computer vision project) since they don't currently have a segmentation model in their pipeline. Ideally I'd donate my datasets and model weights there once I've finished this stage of my research
Here's my FIRST test of my self-trained computer vision segmentation model on completely unseen footage. Overall, SUPER happy with the results! A liiiittle bit of flickering and we lost a lower leg in the follow through. Nothing a bit more training data can't fix. A breakthrough for sure
September 12, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Here's my FIRST test of my self-trained computer vision segmentation model on completely unseen footage. Overall, SUPER happy with the results! A liiiittle bit of flickering and we lost a lower leg in the follow through. Nothing a bit more training data can't fix. A breakthrough for sure
I'm about 300 frames of manual annotation in to my segmentation project. Should be enough to begin training and automate this (incredibly lengthy) process
September 9, 2025 at 3:59 AM
I'm about 300 frames of manual annotation in to my segmentation project. Should be enough to begin training and automate this (incredibly lengthy) process
August 30, 2025 at 2:33 AM
I really like this paragraph I wrote tonight, summarizing a chapter of my work. There are bad / inefficient ways to move, but once you get past that, there are many different ways to get to successful swing outcomes in baseball
August 26, 2025 at 4:32 AM
I really like this paragraph I wrote tonight, summarizing a chapter of my work. There are bad / inefficient ways to move, but once you get past that, there are many different ways to get to successful swing outcomes in baseball
Made with inspiration from ViTPose in Google Colab. Will put the code on my Github this week
August 23, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Made with inspiration from ViTPose in Google Colab. Will put the code on my Github this week